Gîte Accommodation • Private Pool • Free Wifi • Secure Parking
Your home from home in Southwest France
Set in the charming village of Brie sous Chalais, Chez Durandeau is a restored Charentaise farmhouse dating from around 1590 with private swimming pool and south facing garden offering far reaching views across a picturesque and peaceful landscape.
The rental gîte is spacious and comfortably furnished, an ideal place for a relaxing holiday in the French countryside. All of our rooms have been renovated to a high standard and include modern facilities while still retaining traditional feature stone walls and exposed timber beams.
Perfect for extended families on holiday together with plenty of room for everyone and ideal for couples wishing to get away from the stresses of daily life. There are 2 lounges (one with a TV and one without), 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 3 WC’s all providing a mix of shared spaces for socialising and more private areas for some quiet time.
The gîte can accommodate up to six people in comfort and our guests enjoy exclusive use of the pool. There is an outside dining area and terrace with retractable awning, the perfect spot for summer socialising, to sit and read or for sipping your G&T while you watch the sun go down.
The fully equipped kitchen with large refectory table is the centre of the house. The kitchen includes a gas hob, electric oven, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge and freezer as well as a barbecue for the use of our guests.
Downstairs, next to the kitchen, there is also a quiet lounge with sofa and chairs for reading or relaxing indoors or just next to the main gite entrance is a shady “au vent” where you might enjoy a cool, refreshing breeze in the heat of the day.
Most ground floor rooms benefit from French windows which open directly onto the private gardens and swimming pool.
The Pool and Garden
Our large private swimming pool is for the exclusive use of our gĂ®te guests and measures approximately 10 by 5 metres with plenty of room for the whole family, with steps at one end and a stone paving surround. Whilst it is not fenced and therefore not suitable for very young children, it is fitted with a pool alarm compliant with French legal requirements but for safety’s sake, please make sure that any children are closely supervised at all times.
The gardens are mainly laid to lawn with plenty of shade trees to provide cool areas during the warmer months of the year. We even grow some of our own fruit, so please feel free to help yourself.
Accommodation
Bedroom 1 is upstairs, a light spacious room with a king size double bed and en-suite shower room and WC.
Bedroom 2 is downstairs, a large double or twin room with an adjacent luxury shower room and separate WC.
The Studio is upstairs, a large open-plan space with a sleeping area (2 singles) and a separate TV lounge with both French and British satellite programmes available.
There is also a third, separate downstairs WC.
Local Facilities
The nearby towns of Chalais and Brossac are just a 10 minute drive away…
Chalais provides everything you will need for your stay. There is a market each Monday morning as well as two supermarkets, a number of bakeries and butchers, bank, pharmacy, post office, newsagent; tourist office and restaurants.
Brossac has a small Saturday morning market, a supermarket with tabac, bakery and butchers, bank, post office, tourist information and restaurant.
Things to See and Do
The southern Charente has so much to offer but also allows easy access to the Dordogne, Charente Maritime and Aquitaine regions.
If you wish to explore the area, there are a number of “Circuit Decovert” Discovery Circuits – including La Route des Chateaux; Vignobles Charentais and Roman art.
The beautiful village of Aubeterre sur Dronne about twenty minutes away has many historic buildings; shops; restaurants and golf as well as activities on the river, including canoeing and a sandy beach.
Around forty-five minutes to the north is the hilltop city of AngoulĂŞme. With its Comic Festival, Circuit de Ramparts classic car races, trips on the river and the opportunity to take a stroll through the pedestrian streets within the walls of the upper town, it’s a popular day out for many of our visitors.
The cosmopolitan city of Bordeaux is just an hour to the south west and can also be reached by train from Chalais. On the banks of the Gironde river, its a beautiful city with grand boulevards and promenades along the river bank lined with bars and restaurants.
The wine regions of Bordeaux, and St Emilion are just a short drive. You’re sure to find offers to taste and can buy direct from the vineyard at very competitive prices. Our nearest wine producer is Conte et Filles, Chez Grimaud, 16480 Chillac, about 11 kilometres away.
The coast can easily be reached for a day trip. La Rochelle, the ĂŽle de RĂ© and ĂŽle d’Oleron are well worth a visit.
Cognac with its ancient streets, great Cognac Houses and the river; the Roman town of Saintes, built in the 1st century and famous for its amphitheatre; PĂ©rigueux with its roman remains, medieval streets and buildings; Brantome, the Venice of France are a little further away. Here are some useful links…
Closer to Home.
There are a number of excellent local walking/hiking routes on the footpaths and lanes. At the end of our drive, turn right and head for the sign board labelled “Randonneurs” (hikers) in the village centre for a map of the local routes.
The quiet country roads are ideal for cyclists and there is a network of cycle routes and tracks (including the VTT). If you’d like to explore the area by bicycle rental bicycles are available from Bikehire direct who offer great service and competitive prices.
At the Etang Vallier Park near Brossac, you can swim and the lake has a sandy beach. There’s also a fishing area and mini-golf available although it does get quite crowded in high summer.
Our nearest Golf Course is at Golf d’Aubeterre, Lieu Dit Longeveau, Pillac 16390, about 20 kilometres away.
Our Services
Although we will try to leave you to enjoy your holiday in peace, we’re usually on hand if you need a little help or advice. If you’re expecting to arrive late and can give us a little notice, we’re more than happy to pick up a few essentials to get you going or may be able to offer a simple meal on your arrival. Just let us know!
The property has ample private parking in our courtyard and your car can also be sheltered from the weather under a tiled roof.
Unfortunately, Chez Durandeau is not suitable for visitors who have to use a wheelchair.
Bookings
Chez Durandeau can be booked for short breaks and outside peak periods we are happy to be flexible about your arrival and departure day. Follow this link to our Booking page.
Free wi-fi is available throughout the property.
The south-facing garden and lawns surround the large swimming pool with a paved sun terrace. The large swimming pool (5m x 10 m) and the garden are for your private use.
Just outside the kitchen is a secluded outdoor dining area with an awning, perfect for dining al fresco and having a bbq.
Arrival & departure: We are usually flexible about arrival/departure days. Between 23 & 30 May 2020 and 27 June & 28 August 2020 we only accept weekly bookings that arrival/departure on a Saturday.
Guest access: The house has its own entrance and facilities. We live next door and always respect our guests’ privacy and remain at your disposal for any tips or advice on where to go and what to do.
Guest interaction: We meet and greet all our guests. A range of informative leaflets of activities, events and key sights are available. We can offer a shopping service for late arrivals if required.
Other things to note:
To fully enjoy all the area has to offer, it is essential to have a car.
Under local laws we are obliged to collect our local tourist tax payable per person over the age of 18, per night. In 2019 this was 2% of the nightly price per person. This “taxe de séjour” is an additional charge.
Please get in touch if you would like to bring a dog.
Facilities
- Internet
- No smoking
- Linen
- Private pool
Activities
- Cycling
- Golf
- Hiking – A number of local walking routes are signed in the village centre
- Watersports
- Wine tasting