‘Les Marronniers’ (The Chestnut Trees) is an idyllic former farm set in a walking and cycling paradise along riversides and through beautiful woodland where nature is undisturbed. We are on the edge of a pretty hamlet within a short drive of shops, restaurants and bars, yet with 7 acres of our own private gardens and peaceful meadows. Our facilities have just been awarded 3 keys by the prestigious French “Clévacances” organisation.
We offer the use of a spacious 200 year-old farmhouse, comfortably sleeping 8/10 people and two separate gites, each set up for a family of four.
The new 12 x 5 metre pool with Roman steps and built-in jacuzzi is surrounded by a spacious lawn and loungers. It is checked and cleaned frequently, and complies with the stringent French safety standards. There is also a full-size trampoline, barbecues, boules, and a large selection of bicycles (and safety helmets) for you to use at no extra charge.
We live in our own separate accommodation on the premises – there to provide friendly help when required, but discretely out of your way.
The farmhouse has 4 large bedrooms (one bedroom and bathroom are wheel-chair accessible on the ground floor), two bathrooms, dining room, kitchen, lounge, DVD player and satellite TV. Free WiFi internet access is available if you care to bring a laptop.
The dining table seats 8, extendable to 10 if required, and cooks of all standards will be happy in the big country kitchen - even washing up is surprisingly popular because of the stunning view from the sink! There is a large gas-fired range cooker, drinks fridge, food fridge/freezer, microwave, and dishwasher. (A separate utility room houses the washing machine, etc.)
The house has lawned gardens to front and rear, a private outdoor dining area, a sun terrace overlooking the pool, and far-reaching views of our valley. At night, the low light pollution affords a fascinating panorama of stars – they don’t call this ‘the forgotten France’ for nothing; the Creuse is one of the most uncrowded parts of the whole country.
We are based in the beautiful rural Creuse département (23) of the Limousin region, close to the borders of Indre (36) and Haute-Vienne (87). All three départements contain a wealth of attractions for every taste, from the simple pleasures of quiet country life to the lively nightlife and student scene in the regional capital, Limoges.
Within a very short distance, you will find breathtaking scenery along the banks of the River Creuse; cultural sites with strong local connections to George Sand, Chopin, Monet, Guillaumin and the other impressionists; historical towns, chateaus, ancient churches, and fortifications dating back to the days of the crusaders and even earlier; tennis, water-sports, fishing, horse-riding, nature walks, and farm visits; lake-side restaurants and bars, outdoor cafes, gourmet auberges, a state-of-the-art discotheque (4 miles from us - well out of earshot!) and even a "cottage pub".
Moving around by car is easy, with excellent uncrowded local roads, convenient parking, and for longer trips, a toll-free motorway running North-South through the region and numerous well-maintained Routes Nationales. For the more energetic, cycling is a popular way of getting about, whether on organised tours or just as the fancy takes you. Everywhere you will be passing through woods and lush rolling green countryside, populated by the world-famous Limousin cattle, as well as sheep, goats, ducks, horses and donkeys. Wild and cultivated fruit and nut trees abound, and wild-flowers now rare in Britain pop up on the field margins. Herons are a frequent sight, poaching fish from the many well-stocked étangs - somewhere between a small lake and a large pond - as well as hawks, kingfishers, and many other birds.
Les Marronniers Rates 2008
All rates are per week, Saturday 4 pm to Saturday 10 am
Farmhouse, 4 double/twin rooms, sleeps 8 (plus 2 small children)
Peak Season 12th July – 29th Aug £1090 €1600
High Season 22nd Mar – 18th April, 24th May – 11th July, 30th Aug – 26th Sept £790 €1160
Mid Season 19th April - 23rd May, 27th Sept – 31st Oct £690 €1015
Low Season - All other dates* £430 €630
Christmas/New Year by negotiation only.
Additional charge for heating November to February inclusive, €70 per week
Contact details
Chris & Susie Richards
e-mail;Tel. 0033 (0) 5 55 89 24 08
English
Francais 
Please mention OurInns.org when enquiring or booking
All bookings are Saturday to Saturday, arrival after 4 pm, departure by 10 am.
Provisional bookings are taken by post, telephone, or e-mail, and will be held for 7 days pending receipt of the deposit (failing which they will automatically be cancelled). We will send you a confirmation notice by e-mail, or by post if you prefer.
Payment
Payment is by cheque or electronic transfer (account details on application) in £ Sterling or in € Euros. We reserve the right to charge an extra € 35 to cover bank charges for € Euro payments originating outside of the Euro zone.
The booking deposit is 50% of the total, with the balance due six weeks prior to arrival.
Cancellations
In the event that you are obliged to cancel, please let us know as soon as possible. We will make every effort to re-let the accommodation booked and return payments made. However, we reserve the right to decline a refund if we are not successful, and/or to deduct our legitimate costs. We advise our guests to insure against last-minute causes of cancellation.
If we are forced to cancel, we will make a full and prompt refund of all payments received. This is the limit of our obligation.
We are easy to get to by air, rail, or road.
For SatNav, we are at
Lat. 46 deg 23,8967 N
Long. 1 deg 35,0784 E
Limoges Airport is just 50 minutes away on the A20 motorway (Exit 28), and has daily flights by Ryanair from Brussels, Stansted, Nottingham (EMA) or Liverpool, FlyBe from Southampton or Newcastle, and Air France from other French and European cities. Car hire is available from the airport.
You can book on Rail Europe for TGV and express train services including a direct link from Paris Austerlitz to Limoges Benedictins station, where you can hire a car or take a local train onward to St Sebastian, 3 miles (5 km) from us. Journey time on the Eurostar from central London (Waterloo International) to Limoges is around 7 hours total.
If you prefer to drive, there are numerous motorway links from the Channel ports and Northern European countries to get you well South of Paris. From Orleans the A71, or from Tours the A85, both lead to the major interchanges at Vierzon, from where the A20 heads South past Châteauroux and on to Limoges – this section is toll-free, and usually traffic-free too. (Total tolls from Calais are under €35, depending on your chosen route.)
From the airport, follow signs towards Poitiers, Orleans and the A20, which will quickly put you on to the D2000 heading North-East. After that, ignore the Poitiers turn-off, and continue along the D2000 until it joins the motorway and then head North towards Paris and Orleans.
Whether you are coming from the North or the South, take Exit 20 from the A20, then follow the D36 through Argentières to Eguzon (about 10 minutes from the motorway). At the town centre, turn right onto the D913 towards Crozant and Dun-le-Palestel. (You will pass the supermarket and petrol station on your right as you leave town.) After 4 miles (6 km), there is a large light blue sign saying "Région Limousin" in a field on your right. 200 yds (metres) after this, the road turns sharp left, then straightens up. After another 200 yds (metres), take the first paved turning on the right, next to a single tree - this is rural France, remember!
This is the short road into Villeneuve. Go past the turn-offs to Champotrey and Les Jingottes. "Les Marronniers" is the first property on the right as you enter the village, and you will see our large barn and our private entrance and woodshed. Drive past without entering, then take the first paved road to the right (next to the garbage bins), and after 70 yards (metres) you will come to the gravelled drive/guest car park in front of the gîtes, on your right. Bienvenus!
