Le Mas des Fleurs
Welcome to Le Mas des Fleurs, a charming 200-year old Charentaise set in three acres of meadows.
Whether lounging by the heated swimming pool, enjoying nature walks through the neighbouring woodland or canoeing along the Charente river, this idyllic location allows you to truly relax in a glorious part of western France.
Mas Des Fleurs was still a working farm only 60 years ago and so many traditional features remain such as the flagstone flooring, original wood beams and characterful exposed stone work. Nowadays, the cosy lounge offers the perfect place to kick back whilst the sociable kitchen-diner perfectly blends contemporary touches with a true sense of history.
Let the original staircase take you upstairs where two king-size doubles and a twin can be found beneath the beams, alongside three bright and modern bathrooms, two of them being en suite shower rooms. Peep through the tiny windows to catch a glimpse of the courtyard, meadows or woodland of this special and wonderfully restored holiday home. On the ground floor there is a further double bedroom with en suite bathroom.
The 13m long swimming pool is simply superb, as is the decked poolside terrace, all south facing and making the most of the beautiful meadow views. Enjoy quality time with loved ones as you dine al-fresco in the courtyard, followed by a game of badminton, boules or table tennis. Go for nature walks through the three acres of grounds and beyond to the nearby woodland, looking out for the local barn owl, bats, cuckoos, deer and more, with the background sound of the chirping crickets – Mas Des Fleurs is a true natural paradise !
It's not far to yet more serene surroundings whether you seek out the pony club in the nearby village, or spend time by a picturesque lake, just a 5-minute drive away, with fishing, walks as well as supervised swimming and a waterslide in the summer months. A little further, experience the twice-weekly market in historic Ruffec, only 10km away, and find the perfect picnic spot by the Charente river to enjoy local delicacies from goats cheese to foie gras.
Then there’s canoeing, kayaking and paddle-boarding along the river, more gorgeous villages such as Verteuil-sur-Charente, Mansle and Nanteuil-en-Vallée as well as the great cities of Poitiers and Angoulême, allowing many fine days out across the Vienne and Charente regions.
The Farmhouse
The earliest mention of the farmhouse is in 1826 when it appears on a map of the local area. It sits on the edge of the small hamlet of Lavaud and borders a small forest popular with deer and other wildlife.
It is a traditional Charentaise, a stone-built property found throughout the Poitou-Charentes region. The origins of this style of property go back quite some way but it became most prevalent in the 19th century. At its most basic, it is a two-up, two-down building with a central hallway that runs from the front door through to the back of the house.
The property is built of stone with a shallow pitched roof covered in terracotta tiles. Charentaises can have two or three floors, usually with an attic space and sometimes a cellar. Its windows are usually rectangular and quite tall with six to eight panes of glass, similar to sash windows, giving the house a somewhat Georgian feel.
As the Charentaise is basically a farmhouse – sitting on anything from a smallholding to a vast estate – it will often have outbuildings arranged around a courtyard to the front. We are lucky to have several barns as well as the old goat sheds.
The houses usually faces south with few, if any, openings on the north side, predominantly for comfort reasons in order to avoid cold winds infiltrating the living space. This arrangement was also for security, as the walled courtyard is usually on the south side.
As it is found in several of the departments in France, the Charentaise is many people’s idea of a truly classic French home.
The Cottage
The Cottage is on the other side of the courtyard. It is a small and cosy home with two bedrooms, each with their en-suite shower rooms. It also has an amazingly romantic and relaxing outside space which offers the perfect entertaining space for friends and family.