Chez Billon
Elegant Charentaise country house and pretty stone cottage in one acre of grounds surrounded by rolling vineyards in a beautiful hamlet. The situation of the house and cottage is truly special.
This elegant Charentaise country house and its pretty stone cottage stand in one acre of grounds surrounded by rolling vineyards in a beautiful hamlet. The situation of the house and cottage is truly special – in a large garden with a pretty front courtyard completely surrounded by vines and at the end of a no through road with no passing traffic. The heated swimming pool (10 metres by 5 metres) has a large terrace flanked by a surrounding double pergola planted with Mediterranean shrubs and roses and with views of vines all around. There is a large dining terrace with a shaded tiled gazebo and 8-10 seater dining table above the pool with lovely vine views.
Set apart from the pool terrace and overlooking the vines is a large deck area with shaded pergola and extensive surrounding planting. The comfortable rattan seating offers a fantastic place for an aperitif in the cool of the evening.
This lovely stone house is full of original features including beamed ceilings and a Charentaise fireplace and has been completely restored by the British owners. Work on the property included the installation of a new kitchen (with completely new equipment and appliances) and redecoration and restyling of interiors throughout.
The interior of the main house offers:
- 3 bedrooms (2 king and one twin)
- Two shower rooms
- Large light filled kitchen diner with direct access to the pool terrace and gardens
- A ground floor toilet
- Separate utility area with washing machine and sink
In addition, a self-contained and completely refurbished stone cottage is available for two guests with:
- King size bedroom in the eaves
- A spacious shower room off the bedroom
- Sitting/dining room with sofa and fireplace
- Fully equipped kitchen area with oven, hob and fridge
This delightful stone cottage sits at the front gates of the property and is very well equipped to offer additional privacy, independence and flexibility. The cottage is only available as part of the booking for the main house and will never be let separately.
The whole property at Chez Billon has been renovated and equipped as the owners second home and as such we are told it stands out from other rental properties terms of its attention to detail and total relaxation. Comfortable and elegant interiors throughout with high quality furnishings, cotton bed linens, fluffy white towels and pool towels are all included in the rental.
The house and cottage are professionally managed by English agents who live locally and are on hand if problems arise. They also organise the pool cleaning and garden maintenance so guests can relax.
The hamlet of Chez Billon is extremely pretty and includes the site of the font (natural spring) for a noted historically important partly restored 12th century abbey (Abbaye de Fontdouce) which is within easy walking distance for picnics and concerts and also has a small Parc d’Aventure with tree walks and zip wires for the adventurous.
The location of the property is totally peaceful and private and there are lovely walks (including ‘Grande Randomee’ (GR) hiking trails, footpaths and bike rides from both the front and back of the house (4 bikes provided).
The nearby village of Burie (2 miles) has a well-stocked Carrefour supermarket, baker, excellent butcher with a good deli counter, chemist, bank with cash dispenser and an all hours petrol station plus an electric charging point. In the other direction and a couple of miles from the house, Saint Bris des Bois has a fantastic artisan baker for excellent breads, savoury tarts and a selection of patisserie.
Geographically the house is mid-way between the lovely Roman city of Saintes and world famous Cognac, both of them less than a twenty minute drive away.
Saintes is a lovely city witha large range of cultural activities and sight seeing options including: a Roman arch and amphitheatre, pedestrianised shops, restaurants and river trips. Of particular note is the wonderful market in Saintes on Saturday and Wednesday mornings (get there before 10.00 am) at the base of the Cathedral with wonderful displays of fresh vegetables, fruits and all sorts of food products.
Cognac has distillery tours, markets, shops, restaurants and river trips and is well-known for its annual blues and jazz festival usually in July. Wine, pineau and cognac can be bought locally direct from producers
For sea swimming, and other beach activities there are long sandy beaches at Royan 40 minutes drive away (St Georges de Didonne particularly pretty). Isle d’Oleron one hour away with numerous sandy beaches, pine forests and network of cycle tracks and there are beautiful visits to the ports of the Gironde estuary (Mortagne, Meschers and Talmont) within a half hour drive.
Port d’Envaux on the Charente is around 20 minutes drive and has lovely riverside restaurants and a managed swimming area with paddle boards and kayaks available for hire in the main holiday season.
Further afield the wonderful sea port of La Rochelle with its sandy beaches, beautiful harbour and fantastic fish restaurants is an easy day out (just over an hour’s drive). The chic and tiny Ile de Re is accessible by bridge from La Rochelle and worth visiting for its pretty beaches and gorgeous seaside villages.
There are several lovely golf courses within easy reach of the property: Fifteen minutes away is Saintes with 18 holes, an elegant stone building amid lovely countryside. St Brice Cognac is 30 minutes drive and has 18 holes with stunning vineyard views and pretty clubhouse. Other beautiful 18 hole golf courses at Royan (dune course), La Rochelle (Atlantic views) and Angouleme. The area has a very long playing season due to the high number of sunny days in the Charente Maritime.
- The rental quoted is for the house and cottage for up to 8 guests and includes all utilities, linens and towels
- For smaller parties of up to 6 people, the cottage can be excluded from the booking at a lower discounted price (please ask for details)
- The cottage is never let separately and will be unoccupied for guests who book only the main house
- A non-refundable booking deposit of 25% of the total rental is required at the time of booking
- Balance of the rental is due 10 weeks before arrival
- A refundable security deposit of £300 is payable with the balance of the rental and is returned within 2 weeks of departure provided there are no issues arising
- Flexible booking with no fixed changeover day