Your contact:	Maggie & Tim Willcocks
Telephone:	0033 (0)5 49 91 75 47 or 0033 (0) 625 14 03 94
Email:	Click here to contact Les Noyers à la Boulinière

Les Noyers is part of La Boulinière, an 18th century country estate. Les Noyers was built as a forge in the 1700s, and has recently been restored to offer all modern conveniences in the rich atmosphere of the past. Full of character, the house has thick stone walls, terracotta tiles, and exposed wood beams in the ceilings.

Les Noyers à la Boulinière is available in two configurations. Les Grands Noyers is for groups of up to six guests using all three bedrooms. It has a double bedroom, a twin bedroom, and a room with bunk beds for children.

Les Petits Noyers is for couples who require only the double bedroom. It has an en suite bathroom, a children's room with bunk beds, a fully equipped kitchen and a sitting room, and is completely self contained. This option is available to rent weekly for self-catering, or by the night at €65 self-catering, or €75 for bed and breakfast with sole occupancy.

Adjoining the house is an enclosed patio surrounded by greenery. The 8x4 metre swimming pool is surrounded by a terraced area with sun loungers which is shared with another property on the estate.

There is a games barn equipped for table tennis, pool, football, and boules, with swings, slides and a sandpit children and a fishing lake to entertain all ages. Fields and woodland lie beyond on this small private estate.

Inside, the accommodation is all on ground level. In the large living room, comfortable sofas and armchairs surround a massive old stone fireplace. Guests can enjoy the use of a TV, VCR, DVD player, and CD player. French doors lead out onto a terrace, ideal for eating al fresco.

The dining area is dominated by a big dinner table and a fireplace. The kitchen is well equipped with an oven and a gas range, a fridge and freezer, and a wide range of implements. French doors open onto the walled patio surrounded by vines, which is an ideal place to dine outdoors. Next to the kitchen, there is a very large master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, with a corner bath and a separate shower cubicle. There are two further bedrooms, one with a pair of twin beds and an ensuite bathroom, and a room with a set of bunk beds for children.

Special features:	• Pool on the property • Pets welcomed • Bilingual assistance available on site
Swimming pool:	8x4 metre outdoor pool, shared

This area is ideal countryside for walking, cycling, and horse riding, with miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore. For those who like hiking, the Grande Randonnée’s trail #48, a national hiking trail, passes through the property. The nearest village is Journet, which is within easy walking distance at two kilometres. Journet has a bakery and a café. There's a larger range of shops and services 10 kilometres away, in the large medieval town Montmorillon. The town is cut by the river Gartempe which passes through and this stretch of the river is lined with chapels, churches, and abbeys. They all have an extraordinary range of ancient wall paintings, and the area has become known as "The Valley of the Frescoes".

Montmorillon has many historic sites worth visiting, including the Octagon, an 11th Century funeral chapel built by Crusaders; the Chapelle St Laurent and St Chatherine's Crypt with its fine frescoes; and its 12th Century bridge, le Vieux-Pont. Montmorillon was recently designated La Cité de L'Écrit, and hosts an International Book Fair every year. An ancient street of ateliers leading up from the Vieux-Pont is lined with shops and workshops on everything to do with books, from illustration, calligraphy, and book binding, to antique books and artwork. Finally, the beautifully decorated 11th century Abbey of St Savin is just 20 minutes away. This abbey has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and must not be missed.

Les Noyers is ideally situated for day trips to discover the beauty of the Loire Valley. It's a 90-minute drive to the renowned châteaux of Chambord, Chaumont, Villandry, Blois, and Ussé, which is also referred to as “Sleeping Beauty's castle".

The Futuroscope in the city of Poitiers is 40 minutes away. This "Park of the Moving Image" features cinematic exhibits, and makes an excellent day out, and in the summer boasts a laser and firework display celebrating the history of film and cinema. The beaches of the Atlantic coast and the historic naval town of La Rochelle are only two hours away.

Other worthwhile day trips include the Abbey of Saint-Savin, which is a Unesco world heritage site, the Vallée des singes or Valley of Monkeys, a wildlife reserve, the thermal springs at La Roche-Possay, the Haut-Poitou wine route, and the village of Anglé-sur-l'Anglin, officially one of the most beautiful in France. Waterskiing is available in Montcontour, kayaking and canoeing on the Gartempe river, and golfing near Poitiers. Plan also to visit the traditional open-air markets, which take place in Montmorillon every Wednesday and at Le Blanc and Chavigny on Saturdays.

The dining area	The kitchen
The den	The hallway
The bedroom with bunk beds	The exterior of Les Noyers

Merci beaucoup pour le maison magnifique! Your place is beautiful, you made us feel very welcome. Thank you for your extra help and information. May many travellers find a sojoum here.
Sally and Russell F. - Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia

This is a very well equipped Gite with everything you need. Great welcome, great pool, great place. We really enjoyed chilling out here and will return soon.
Helen H. - Brockenhurst, Hampshire, Endland

We had a wonderful break in these lovely suroundings,with great weather and not a drop of rain! Monty (our dog) very quickly made the whole place his own, for which we thank you. We hope to see you soon.
Jane and Ron B. - Isle of Wright, England