Le Moulin in the Early Spring

Le Moulin du Champ, located in the Charente Maritimes, is an 18th century Charentaise house and watermill containing five gîtes.  The accommodation offers a swimming pool and children's' play area. The swimming pool is fenced for safety.  The gîtes are close to the River Bruant which actually flows through the grounds and the property offers the opportunity for walks, cycling and superb bird watching as there are beautiful gardens and extensive natural areas and woodlands.  There is a golf course 10-25 minutes away and Le Moulin du Champ is only half an hour from La Rochelle and the beaches

The family run gîtes are owned by Dereck and Julie, who also live in part of the mill with their children.

The extensive gardens occupy four acres (1.6 hectares) and include a large area of lawn, the swimming pool, a grove of poplars, the millstream, and the River Bruant.

The garden is planted with a variety of flowers and shrubs, including a rose garden. A small orchard provides apples, plums, and figs which guests can enjoy picking themselves.

Nearby is a rustic playground with swings and a slide and a large sandpit. Only a few metres away is the new 10x5 metre fenced swimming pool. The pool faces southwest and has a terrace with sunloungers and parasols. Parking is available on site, shaded by poplar trees.

The property is surrounded by fields of sunflowers, corn and melon, beyond which are the meadowlands interspersed with small canals which make up the Rochefort/La Rochelle region.

Each Gite has individual charm and has been renovated to a high standard but retaining the traditional features of the region.  All the gîtes have modern appliances, adequate and luxurious bathroom facilities and possess outdoor areas with barbeque facilities.

The Gîtes:- 10% Discout Offered for September Bookings

All Gites are furnished to a high standard and each has its own special features. 

All Gites have private terraced areas equipped for al-fresco dining with barbeques, chairs, tables and parsols.

Kitchens are fully equipped and all have washing machines, microwaves, fridge and cooker. 

Linen and towels are available. 

Maid, Cook and Driver can be arranged on request

Details of our Gîtes - Delice du Berger, La Prairie, La Source, La Terrasse and Le Bucher  follow - please scroll down

The Bedrooms can be set up either as a twin and a double for families, or as two double rooms for two couples sharing. The smaller children's room looks west onto the flower garden and swimming pool. On the East side a very large bedroom with a comfortable new king size double bed. has a pine clad ceiling which incorporates a fascinating down lighting system depicting various star constellations, natural stone walls and a huge, blonde beam.

There is a Shower Room and separate toilet.  The property is centrally heated.

La Source is suitable either for a larger family or for two families sharing. The ground floor is in the part of the mill formerly occupied by the millwheel. The millstream flows directly below, and there is a unique glass-topped coffee table in the floor of the living area which looks into the stream. 

The ground floor is open plan with natural stone walls and oak beams and split into  living, dining and kitchen areas - the latter has pink granite worktops and is fully equipped to include dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, fridge etc.  There is also a downstairs shower room and toilet.

For outside eating or relaxing a door leads out onto a balcony which juts out over the millpond and then connects to a large, enclosed patio equipped with chairs, parasol and barbecue

Upstairs via a wooden staircase, the bedrooms comprise a master bedroom with en-suite shower, basin and toilet, a double, one twin and another room complete with bunk beds plus a spacious Bathroom/WC with Corner Bath.

All bedrooms have wooden beams  and look out over the millstream or the millpond.

SPECIAL OFFER:   4 bedroom spacious home available - 2 weekers take 10% discount! Hurry!  Perfect for extended family or 2 families together! Some peak weeks available so email us now so not to be disappointed and grab this offer. Near to interesting towns, tree parks and beaches or just lazing by the pool. Look forward to seeing you!

Where we are, about the Region and what it offers . . . . .

Le Moulin du Champ is nestled in a gentle valley, bordered to one side by a small road with the River Bruant running alongside, linking the nearby village of Romegoux, about a kilometre away, to the next village of Geay. The rural landscape is characterised by fields of crops or glades of open grassland with sheep grazing. Numerous canals criss-cross the meadowlands, and are a haven for bird and animal life, including storks, herons, kites, owls, and the occasional deer. The landscape is ideal for cycling and walking, as well as bird-watching or fishing. Romegoux, a small residential village, lies just a few leisurely minutes' walk from the Mill. It is home to a fine Gothic church dating from the 15th century, which now displays a large, contemporary stained glass window by the artist Gerard Lardeur. Four kilometres away and just beyond Romegoux is the village of Beurlay (now twinned with Burley in England). This village is renowned for its famous Saintonge-style Galette biscuits and cakes, and has its own factory and shop, as well as a beautiful, floodlit Romanesque church. Beurlay also has a post office, a baker, a friendly bar and café, a hairdresser, and a restaurant offering wholesome and excellent value meals. There are many local markets selling vegetables, fruit, fresh fish, goat's cheeses, escargots, honey, and local wines, as well as some interesting Brocante and Antiquitie shops selling regional items of furniture. In the nearby town of St. Porchaire, the market is held on a Wednesday morning, and in Pont l'Abbe, a large village close by, it takes place on a Friday. There are a variety of golf courses nearby, with an 18 hole course in Saintes, as well as excellent courses at Royan and La Rochelle. Tennis courts are locally available, as well as an indoor heated swimming pool in Saintes and a new leisure pool complex at St. Jean d'Angely. There is a great choice of boat trips, between the nearby river Charente and the Marais Poitevin, an area of fertile marshland interspersed with numerous canals.  Being situated between the interesting Roman town of Saintes and the old naval port of La Rochelle, Le Moulin du Champ is an ideal place from which to discover the region’s many qualities: the sea and coastline, the Roman and medieval architectural heritage, and the well-kept countryside. Saintes was founded by the Romans as a trading town on the River Charente. It is mainly a shopping town with many clothes boutiques and bookshops, as well as museums and a large choice of restaurants, within a pedestrian network of cobbled streets. The Roman Amphitheatre is worth a visit, and hosts musical events in the summer. Fresh food markets are held daily in different locations, and there is a huge fair once a month. The countryside has many intricately decorated Romanesque churches, some dating from the 11th century. The country towns and hamlets have retained their original character and the creamy stone houses and sandy roofs have changed little over the centuries. The nearest beaches - less than half an hour's drive away - are at Chatellaion (a modern built-up resort town) or Fouras (much more 30's-style, as it was founded in the "Belle Epoque") -  but our personal favourites are the surfing beaches on the famous Ile D'Oleron...about 45 minutes by car. The seaside resort of Royan is located at the mouth of the Gironde Estuary. It has fine, sandy beaches and an immense seafront with leisurely wide promenades. A dynamic and lively town, one of its newest attractions is "Les Jardins du Monde", a large exotic greenhouse with a Zen garden and a lake area with boats. Just beyond this town is the beach area known as the Côte Sauvage, or wild coast, a natural area of pine forests and natural beaches, which are popular with surfers and windsurfers. A ferry links Royan to the Route des Chateaux de Vin, which takes in the wine-growing areas of the Medoc. Less than 30 minutes from Le Moulin du Champ is the capital of the Charente-Maritime, La Rochelle. Once a Roman colony, it fell in and out of British and French hands several times in the Middle Ages. It is now a town popular with artists, and there are many shops depicting their works. La Rochelle is famous for its large marina and its many excellent seafood restaurants. The Old town features many interesting museums, including the "Musee du Nouveau Monde", tracing the relationship between La Rochelle and the Americas since the Renaissance. A very large modern aquarium features a tunnel with transparent walls, allowing visitors to wander through a tropical marine paradise. Also well worth a visit is the very interesting town of Rochefort, a former naval port.

What our Guests have to Say . . . . .

Wedding Anniversary we chose 3 gites at Le Moulin du Champ so our family could join us. This proved ideal as we had our own space and peace when needed and at the same time, with other families staying there, our grandchildren enjoyed the company of other children. We all had a great time! The owners, Dereck & Julie, were very friendly and helpful - the gites were comfortable and the grounds around the gites were peaceful and picturesque. The location was excellent being near the coast (La Rochelle and Royan in particular) and close to beautiful towns such as Saintes and Cognac.

Mr and Mrs H - England

Our stay at Le Moulin du Champ was the highpoint of our trip to France. Delice du Berger was spaciously and nicely laid out. The grounds were beautiful and Julie and Dereck Carter were marvellous hosts during our stay. We are heartily recommending the gite to all our friends and look forward to visiting it again sometime in the future