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SLEEPS 6

A delightful restored detached Vendeen cottage situated a mile from the historic village of Maillezais. In the heart one of France's hidden jewels, a wetland reserve known as the 'Venise Verte' (Green Venice).

Cut through ancient marshlands and meandering through canopies of overhanging willow, beech and poplar,  this magical network of canals and rivers simply enchants. You can take boat trips, rent bicycles or walk along the canal paths and over the seemingly endless picturesque bridges from villages that seem to have changed little this century.

The house has two spacious open plan bedrooms, and will sleep six. There is a double bed in each room, and two single beds that can be moved as needed between rooms.

Barbeque	Wood Burning stove	Enclosed garden	Linen & towels for hire	Washing machine
Downstairs WC	Cot available	Rural	Shower	Short breaks all year
Open fire	Microwave	Parking available

Some Customer Comments: (extracts from our visitors book and direct feedback)

A superb gité … with everything necessary for a comfortable stay.  We have seen numerous rare (in the UK) birds. Had a hands-on experience having rented boats on the Venise Verte. And learnt much about the area by visiting the various maison’s du Marais poitevin. pps. For those that like to cook, there were plenty of pots, pans etc. Roy & Sue (Leicestershire). September 2011

Great time; relaxing, lots to do.  Restaurant by the Abbey is great… We will recommend & be back one day! Karen, Chris (Jersey). August-September 2011

A very relaxing, peaceful gité with good facilities. Nat and Step (housekeepers) were really welcoming… Having an 18 month old daughter, I thought we might struggle for suitable things to do, however the Zoo at Mervent was an excellent day out, as was the afternoon spent on the boat on the Venise Verte!  … La Rochelle is well worth visiting and the aquarium is excellent.  The beach at the Les Conches is lovely and safe.  La Faute-sur-Mer is a bit touristy but again a nice beach and a market on a Thursday morning.  The restaurant just over the bridge in Damvix is good and there are plenty of tables.  The abbey in the village is also worth a visit.  A great holiday overall, and the welcoming wine and cheese were a nice touch! Jon, Amanda and Imogen F. (Stone, Staffs) August 2011

We agree. Lovely cottage in a fantastic location! We recommend the restaurant opposite the Abbaye de Maillezais. Try the moulade (regional speciality; mussels with a curry sauce) … and  the eels, not to mention the snails. Guided boat tour from the Abbey also good.  Also amazing restaurant across the bridge at Damvix with fantastic food.  We enjoyed a great day on the house bikes and a trip to La Rochelle which is only 45 mins away.  …

We’ve had such a lovely week discovering a new part of France, thank you! (Also thanks to the wine and cheese on are arrival– lovely) Sam, Sara & Maisie W. (Twyford). July-August 2011

Lovely cottage in a good location; nice and peaceful, which was just what we were looking for.  Plenty of places to see, and things to do.  Used the bikes left in the house. Great food .. we enjoyed plenty of fish…. Jo & Anna. July 2011

A beautiful and well equipped gité, so peaceful and quite. Some very hot days which were spent in the garden. Lots of trips out which were lovely. The B. Family (Hempstead, Essex.) July 2011

Had a lovely stay.  A peaceful place and plenty of space to relax.  Enjoyed the bird life…. A very pleasant holiday, Merci! Caroline & Terry (Hertfordshire) June-July 2011

We had a gloriously peaceful week at La Barche, it’s a beautiful spot and great for cycling.  Lots of great bird spotting opportunities on the doorstep (Kingfisher, Redstart, Hoopoe. … We recommend a trip to the Ile de Re if you are here out of the main season, on bike cycles it was beautiful.  The cottage had everything we needed and Nat and Step (the housekeepers) were so helpful if we had questions…. We will be back!! Richard and Carolyn P. Weston Super-Mare.  June 2011

We wanted a quite week, with sunshine and access to the coast. The house was bigger than we expected and in a lovely rural setting.  It had all the basics that we needed and was a great base for us.  PS. The Donkey from the nearby farm is called Percy! - Fiona & Ruth W. London and Cardiff.  April 2011

We had a great time here; the gité has all the necessary mods & cons and has been very comfortable.  We took the canoeing options instead of punting (on the canals). Auberge de la abbey is a good local restaurant and well up to par. A thoroughly enjoyable late season break with good weather all week!  Pete & Gill, West Sussex. September 2010

 

Well equipped cottage… in peaceful setting, perfect for relaxing in the garden.  The cottage is ideally situated for exploring the area. We recommend a boat trip from near the abbey in the Maillezais, we had a boatman who spoke English and did his best to set the water alight (using marsh gases).  We also recommend L’lle d’Rẻ, Nieul-sur-l’Autise abbey. Our weather was un-expectantly very hot and sunny, 33c on one day with the odd shower only at night. We hope all future visitors to the cottage have as enjoyable a stay as we have. Jan & Sally. Wiltshire. September 2010

A peaceful and tranquil experience, wonderful sunsets & great wildlife – look for the kingfishers on the river!  Enjoyed eating outdoors all week, weather fine and warm. Eat at the Abbey restaurant – recommended. Lesley, Ceri & Phil. Wale. August 2010

 

We enjoyed the simplicity of the house and being here only with bicycles. We loved the Abbey of Nieul-sur-l’Autise and the amazing lunches at the Hotel Central in Coulon. Ruti & Di, Somerset, August 2010

 

Beautiful weather in a lovely area of France.  Nice to stay in a traditional cottage, well equipped. A full afternoon had with the ‘flat boats’ in Maillezais.  Beautiful walk along the canal in Maillé. Caroline & Wyn, South Whales. August 2010

I liked the beach in Les Conches…Spending time in the gité was fun. Sion, Nia & Cerys Ann, July 2010

Thank you for a peaceful stay and your kindness, Au Revoir.  Richard and Judy. September 2009

Very comfortable and well equipped gité, no problems in our 2 week stay, so can only compliment caretakers on leaving everything in working order so no need to bother them.  .. We had good meals at the Auberge by the Abbey here in the village. .. Citronel restaurant on Coulange, it might pay to book even though we got in on spec, we saw 6 or 8 people turned away during the next 20 minutes so we booked for our return trip. .. The weather was wonderful, 10 straight days of bright sun and over 30º everyday, then one cold day followed by sun intervals. .. The fishing permit from the tabac covers a trillion miles of fishing. I only managed small catfish, bream and roach...We will probably be back!  Val, Roy & Dudley (West Midlands) September 2009

The cottage is lovely, very quite and relaxing. There are lots of things to do; The aquarium in La Rochelle is wonderful for children, the audio guide is great! .. .The town of Vouvant is a pretty as they say! .. We went on two boat rides on the canals, one was guided which was very relaxing, and one at St. Sigismond which was very well signed posted. ... We will miss eating our meals outside and the delicious bread and peaches.  Andy. Lesley, Jonathan & Michael August 2009

Very pleasant week, enjoyed by the four of us.  Cottage is great, quiet and restful. Beautiful part of the country. June 2009

Repeat visitor, prefect location, near village but rural.  Area beautiful.  Great to do lots or take it easy and do nothing. Chris & Maria (London), October 2008

The cottage is charming, we received a warm welcome from the house keeper even though we were late arriving! The area is beautiful with much to do and see.  Ile de Ré is very pretty with lovely beaches. We also discovered a very child friendly beach at Plage d'Aytre, safer for young children. We had our last meal at La Pigouille in Coulon by the side of the river. We where very sad to be going home. We love La Barche and hope to return. Marie & John (Rotherham), August 2008

Cottage - Great! Quiet with a good sized garden for the kids to play.. Puy du Fou - Can be done in a day if you get there early.. Cinescenie is Fri/Sat only and you need to book in advance.. La Rochelle - The aquarium is world class. Fontenay Le Compte - Chateau de Terre-Neuve, is well worth a visit.. Futuroscope - you really need 2 days...The evening show is very good. .. I hope these comments are of some use, you never know!. Cathy & Steve (Durham), July 2008

Lovely cottage with traditional features & very well equipped. Enjoyed the garden and BBQ. Sampled many local wines.  Spent a lovely day on the Ile de Re and had a great meal in one of the harbour side restaurants in La Rochelle....We had a nice relaxing holiday and hope you do too. Lin & Mark (Bristol), July 2008

The Cottage is wonderful & well equipped....you must visit Marans it's every so pretty.... Martin & Anne, July 2008

We loved the cottage and the area, we stacked up at the market and made good use of the BBQ.  We spent a lot of time relaxing around the cottage (with a glass or two of local wines)! But we also found time to go for a row along one of the canals. Wonder around the Abbey in the village and hire bicycles for a few hours, all very good fun! We ate more than once at the Auberge de l'Abbey, they have local dishes.....Coulon and Courdault are villages worth finding. We had a great time here, hope you do too! Ralph and Lynne, June 2008

La Barche cottage is in a lovely rural position, but close enough to Maillezais and other villages, to enjoy the amenities there, like the boat trips, bicycle hire and the beautiful ruined Abbey and of course wonderful restaurants, serving local dishes. It is a real taste of French life.  Mrs D. Norfolk, June 2008.

Had a great time, lots to do and see, loved the location. Great for photography. Will come back. John (Birmingham), July 2007

Lovely house, peaceful location, lots to see and do, great local restaurants, enjoyed the boat trip from the abbey in the Maillezais.  Coffee and Croissants from the local village every morning, can't beat it. Stephen & Michelle (Brighton), May 2007