Les Ecuries Brioux is a beautiful typically Charentaise stone house with a large 10m x 5m heated private swimming pool set in extensive gardens.The house is set in countryside full of fields of sunflowers 10 minutes walk from the centre of a typical French village - Brioux Sur Boutonne.
The coast is just over an hour drive away with the beautiful and cosmopolitan Isle de Re, bustling La Rochelle (with its shops, restaurants and fantastic aquarium) and traffic free Ile D’Aix all within reach for day trips.
Les Ecuries Brioux - The House
Les Ecuries has been tastefully renovated in 2016 by artisans to an extremely high standard and comfortably sleeps 8 adults (plus up to 2 children under 12) and has been furnished with a mix of antique and modern furniture to make a really comfortable home from home.
Les Ecuries has 4 double bedrooms and will comfortably sleep 8 (plus room for an additional 2 babies/children under 12) There are two bedrooms upstairs and two bedrooms downstairs.
The house is full of character and the lounge/diner has original beams, fireplace and stone floors and even the original stone troughs from the time when the house was used as a stables. The patio doors from the lounge open onto the pretty cottage gardens at the front and onto the rear gardens at the back.
The new kitchen includes an American fridge freezer with ice-maker and a range cooker. It has all the mod cons you would expect to find such as a dishwasher, Nespresso coffee machine, microwave etc plus there is a separate utility area in the barn with a washing machine, tumble drier and additional drinks fridge. A Weber BBQ is also available for guests to use.
The house is centrally heated and has a woodburning stove for cosy nights in the cooler months. It comes equipped with wifi, TV ( with English channels including CBeebies) DVD player and a sound bar for guest entertainment. There are a range of DVDs provided for guests to enjoy
The bedrooms upstairs are en-suite both with lovely large walk-in showers and double sinks. One bedroom has a king sized bed, the other can be set up as either a twin or a superking double depending on requirements.
Two further bedrooms downstairs set in their own corridor, share a family bathroom (with bath and shower and double sinks). One is a twin and the other can be set up as either a twin or superking double depending on requirements.
The downstairs bedrooms both have patio doors opening onto the terrace and the rear garden and overlook the swimming pool - a perfect spot for a coffee! All of the bedrooms have space for a cot/put me up bed. The layout of the house makes it ideal not only for a single family but also for two families sharing or for families visiting with grandparents.
All the beds are extremely comfortable and have high quality Egyptian cotton bed linen. We provide towels and pool towels for guests to use.
Les Ecuries Brioux -The Gardens:
Set in the extensive lawn surrounded by mature trees is a lovely 10 x 5 heated swimming pool (which was re-lined this year and includes non-slip steps). The pool area has been fenced away from the rest of the garden (photos to follow) and is entered through a child safe gate. It is also equipped with a pool alarm and a safety cover. There are plenty of sun-loungers for lazing around the pool whilst the children play. The pool will usually be open between May and the end of September.
There are plenty of trees to provide shady areas in the garden in summer and to the front of the house there is a lovely cottage garden well stocked with flowers and a patio area which catches the morning sun - perfect for breakfast.
Les Ecuries Brioux - For families and children
The grounds are perfect for children of all ages with large areas of grass to play games in plus a games barn. There is a table tennis table, boules, and swing ball plus rugby and basketballs, darts and plenty of board games to keep them amused. There are toys for younger children and a large ride-on tractor. There are bucket and spades and a sun shelter for visits to the coast.
For younger children and babies there are toys suitable for them and baby equipment such as high chairs, stair gates, microwave steriliser, baby monitor, potty, baby bath, toddler bed guards,night lights, plastic cups and plates etc are all provided for guests to use. There is one wooden cot and one travel cot at the house. Both are large with comfortable thick mattresses - as we understand how important it is for parents for babies and children to sleep well. All the bedrooms have wooden shutters that block out all light so great for babies who wake easily!
The thick stone walls of the house also mean the house stays cool in summer when it is hot outside and the wooden shutters in all the bedrooms mean the bedrooms are dark when they are closed (even during the day) - great for sleeping children still having daytime naps or those who wake up at the merest hint of light ( we know - we've been there!).
Les Ecuries Brioux - Getting there and away
There are 5 airports within a 2 hour drive of the house. All are served by airlines from the UK
La Rochelle (1h), Poitiers (1h), Nantes (1h 45), Bordeaux (1h 50), Limoges (2h)
The overnight ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo, Caen or Le Havre work well (or the fast cat to Cherbourg is also a good option if you don’t want to sleep on a ferry overnight). The usual drive times from the French ferry ports to the house are:
St Malo 3h 45, Caen 4h, Le Havre 4h 45, Cherbourg 5h
Our changeover days are usually Sundays in season – but we may be able to be flexible, please ask.
