The Millhouse

Set in its own beautiful and secluded grounds, The Millhouse provides exceptional accommodation in the heart of the Charente Maritime countryside. The relaxing surroundings combine with the charm of this historic mill to provide you with the perfect way to unwind. The home has ten ensuite bedrooms in total, Wi-Fi throughout and beautiful grounds featuring a stream and rivers, landscaped gardens and wild flowers. There are nine bedrooms in the main house, one including a sofa-bed, available for 18-20 guests whilst a self-contained one-bedroom apartment with a sofa-bed in the lounge sleeps a further 2-4 guests, bringing the total capacity to 20-24 guests.  Memorable evenings can be spent in the beautifully lit dining room where you can gaze at the cleverly designed glass feature overlooking the stream running through the room towards the waterwheel. In the summer, head outside and relax by the poolside cabana, enjoy meals together by the stone-built barbecue or prepare pizzas in the traditional bread oven. Families are made to feel especially welcome with a wealth of facilities from board games by the cosy fire to table tennis and football, not to mention the lovely children’s play area outside. Then of course there is the glorious heated swimming pool with its own kids corner and ample space for grown-ups to relax on the poolside terrace. Close to the historic towns of Saintes, Cognac, Taillebourg and St Jean D’Angely, the Millhouse is in a wonderful location. It’s only forty minutes from the coast where you’ll discover wonderful sandy beaches and a strong sense of the region’s maritime history. Nearby you can also visit beautiful vineyards and market towns selling local fresh produce and seafood. The Charente Maritime region has an exceptionally sunny climate and is a wonderful area to visit. The Millhouse, which was voted one of the 25 best villas in Europe by Conde Nast, is the perfect venue for your holiday and the enthusiastic owners will be at hand to help you have a memorable stay. Features: Main House Interior (up to 20 guests including sofa-bed) Ground Floor - Spacious foyer with the main stairway leading to the upper floor giving access to the East and West wing bedrooms - Large, spacious reception rooms with beautifully furnished contemporary interiors - Formal dining room, which comfortably seats up to 20 people and a millstream that runs through the house to the Mill-wheel at the rear of the property (there is small wall suitable for seating and viewing the stream via a toughened safety glass viewing panel) - Open-plan modern kitchen with two dishwashers, large dining table and chairs and doors leading onto the covered wooden decked patio area - Large salon with traditional Charantais fireplace, three large comfortable sofas and 50" TV with Freesat (just bring your own SKY card), Orange TV with many French, German and International TV stations, Netflix, Blu-ray, DVD player and a  quality music system - Fully-equipped utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer, disabled toilet, baby bath and cleaning equipment - Garden room/bedroom with twin beds, a separate downstairs toilet with large shower, vanity unit and hairdryer First floor - Balcony with two large sofas and well-stocked library - Master bedroom with double bed, double sofa-bed and en suite bathroom - Four double bedrooms with en-suite bath/shower rooms - Three twin bedrooms with en-suite bath/shower rooms Four additional beds (suitable for children) can be arranged on request in advance - they can be placed in some of the double bedrooms. Self-contained Apartment (up to 4 guests including sofa-bed) - Lounge with double sofa-bed and a 42’’ flat screen TV, blue-ray DVD player - Twin bedroom and bathroom Outside Grounds - Large 12 x 6m salt water, heated swimming pool (available approximately mid-April to mid-October, from 9am-9pm) with an attached 4x3m kids pool and automatic safety cover - Wooden decked patio area with a large table and chairs and poolside cabana - Charentais stone built BBQ and Weber Genesis gas BBQ - Pizza oven - Wide sun and shaded terraces with extensive grounds  - Solar heated pool shower - Table football - Children’s playground: swing set, slide, trampoline - Grounds feature stream and two small rivers Facilities - Wi-Fi - 50" plasma TV with Freesat (just bring your own SKY card), Blu-ray DVD player and a quality music system - 42’’ flat screen TV with blue-ray DVD player - CD player with iPod docking system - Gym equipment: step machine, small weights, gym fitness ball - Garden games: badminton, table tennis table - Baby equipment: two cots, baby bath, bath toys and two cots and highchairs - Wii games  - Billiard table - Board games - Books and magazines - Toys Location: Close to the historic towns of Saintes, Cognac, Taillebourg, St Jean D’Angely and only 40 minutes from lovely beaches in the area, the Millhouse is in a wonderful location. There is easy access to Angoulême, the capital of the Charente, the major train stations, international airports, and only 4 hours from St Malo ferry port. The Charente Maritime region is exceptionally sunny, and has its own micro climate as a result of the Azores’ anticyclone, making for mild springs and pleasant autumns. Along its 470 kilometers of coastline, the Charente Maritime has around 110 beautiful sandy beaches. Needless to say, seafood is a speciality here. It is steeped in culture and history and boasts 500 years of Maritime history from the imposing outline of Fort Boyard to the stocky coastal fortifications of La Rochelle. Inland and around the area it boasts over 400 stunning Romanesque churches. It is a place where the land meets the sea and is reflected in the beautiful shades of the wooden shutters adorning the honey coloured sandstone houses. The house sits among the farms and vineyards that produce the famous Pineau Charente aperitif grapes which produce a sweet wine and is located approximately 14 kilometers from the main Saintonge city of Saintes (saintonge means saintes area). Saintes was originally a roman town situated on the banks of the Charente river. At most times during the year there are various festivals and markets selling local produce, fresh fish, seafood,poultry, fruit and vegetables. The nearest major airport would be Bordeaux (Merignac Airport) which is about 1-1/2 hrs drive away.  La Rochelle a slightly smaller airport is located 45 minutes drive away and there are many budget airlines flying from the UK to La Rochelle.   Paris is about 4-1/2 hours drive from the mill.  The mill is also accessible via TGV trains from Paris and the nearest station is Saintes or St Jean D’Angely. Both towns are about 15 - 20 minutes drive away. Terms & Conditions: ? €1000 paid in cash or charged to client’s credit card by the caretaker upon arrival and refunded two weeks after departure, subject to full inspection. 5.00 p.m. 10.00 a.m. (9.00 a.m. for the first floor bedrooms and the apartment). Yes. Yes, including pool towels and bath robes. Yes, a maximum of 2 pets at a supplement of €100 will apply (paid locally). Four additional beds (suitable for children) can be arranged on request, with advance notice (they can be placed in some of the double bedrooms). In all instances, the number of guests should not exceed 24. No Stag/hen parties. Small weddings are possible and on request only and subject to prior arrangement with the owner and additional charges. Four highchairs and three cots are available upon request. Guests will be required to sign a copy of the owner’s rental terms before the arrival. The Millhouse sleeps 20-24. The main house sleeps 18-20 guests across nine double/twin bedrooms, one of which has a double sofa-bed. The self-contained apartment can sleep 2-4 guests across its twin bedroom and a double sofa-bed in the lounge. Four fold-up single beds (suitable for children) can be arranged on request, with advance notice (they can be placed in some of the double bedrooms). For safety and security reasons, and to help retain heat and prevent water evaporation, the pool cover should be put on in the evening after use. Saturday in high season. Flexible during all other periods. Yes. However, guests are required to leave the accommodation clean, tidy and in the same condition as on their arrival. Any extra cleaning, laundry, maintenance and/or rubbish disposal required will be charged against the security deposit Outside only. Guests are advised to be in possession of a valid insurance policy, which covers them for cancellations, personal belongings, personal liability and any accidental damage caused during their stay. 7 nights in high season. 3 nights during all other periods. Yes. No. The pool is heated approximately from mid-April to mid-October. Please note that like all heated pools, pool heating and water temperature are reliant on weather and outside temperatures. French Visitors Tax payable locally in cash (typically costs €1-€10 per adult per night - please enquire if exact amount is required).