Le Petit Mas
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- Characterful 15th century farmhouse villa
- 15m private pool
- Games facilities
- Borders Cognac, Charente and Dordogne
In a glorious hilltop setting, with miles of countryside spread out before you and vineyards above, you share a corner of France with a privileged few. This tranquil spot is something of a well-kept secret, although Le Petit Mas, surrounded by farmland, woods and meadows, is just a kilometre from the picturesque (shop-free) village of Vouthon and in an area known for fabulous Romanesque architecture, historic priories, castles and churches.
As well as four double bedrooms, there’s a converted attic room with four single beds – a dream for children who want a den, bedroom and pyjama party all in one – and every floor of this three-level building is an attractive combination of antique furnishings, rustic homely touches and contemporary art, all offset by exposed beams and solid stonework. An airy living room complete with baby grand piano and a traditional well-equipped farmhouse kitchen help make this an ideal base for extended families.
On the south-facing terrace, an evening meal is a sunset-lit affair and with two other terraces and over 30 acres to explore, this 15th-century farmhouse gives everyone room to roam, whether that’s around the property or out into the countryside. And for an extra helping of local life, the owners offer a 'boeuf bourguignon' evening on a Sunday or Monday when restaurants in the area may be closed.
The local area
The Tardoire River for canoeing is just five minutes away and a number of walking trails start nearby. The castle at La Rochefoucauld is a must-see and there are summer concerts in town during July and August. You’ll find shops here too and a Saturday market, although for bread and groceries, your nearest ports of call are the villages of St-Sornin (1km) and Montbron (4km). From Montbron, you can also hire bikes and a riverside walk from here takes in the castles of Ferriere, Chabrot, Menet and the mills of Menet and Chabrot: paper mills, stone, flour mills being a feature of the region. Sophisticated Angoulême lies 25km to the west with its two places of worship: a magnificent cathedral and a chocolate factory. There’s also a Museum of Cartoons, sailing, squash courts and an 18-hole golf course if neither history nor confectionary are calling.
Le Petit Mas is very well located on the borders of the Dordogne, Limousin and Charente, allowing you to explore the beautiful villages of the northern Dordogne such as Piégut and the diverse landscapes of these very different areas.
The Charente is cognac country, for many the very epitome of French life, where the great houses of Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin distil their magnificent brandies. Cognac itself has far more to offer, grand houses and narrow winding streets; and more festivals than there are months in the calendar. To the east stands Angoulême, its very name a sign of sophistication, a prodigious cathedral the strongest hint of its affluent past. The Charente River gathers momentum near Saintes but it is never much more than a quiet waterway for those who delight in messing about in boats. Sleepy little towns like Jarnac seem to float by, followed by proud Romanesque abbeys and priories, silhouetted against the lush undulating countryside. Make sure you visit the churches at St-Amand-de-Boixe, Bassac and Conzac.
An in-villa chef and meal delivery service is available by arrangement
Accommodation
Layout
- 5 bedroom house (sleeps 8 to 10, maximum 8 adults)
Ground floor
- Entrance hall
- Living room with fireplace and baby grand piano, French doors lead to terraces
- Kitchen with oven, hob, toaster, kettle, coffee machine, fridge, freezer, microwave, dishwasher and dining table
- Separate WC
First floor
- Master double bedroom with integrated bath and washbasin
- Double bedroom
- Double bedroom with ladder to children’s dormitory (for emergency use only)
- Shower room with WC
- All doubles can be made into twin beds on request
Second floor
- Large bedroom/playroom with 4 children’s beds with en-suite bathroom and WC (restricted headroom)
- Double bedroom with additional single bed with en-suite bathroom and WC (restricted headroom)
General
- Complimentary WiFi (ground floor only)
- Simpson Travel telephone representative
- Washing machine and dryer
- Dishwasher
- 3 cots (linen supplied) and 3 highchairs
- Fans
- Telephone
- Piano
- TV, video, DVD and CD players
- Book library (English and French) for adults and children
- Extensive collection of children’s toys
- Table tennis and table football
- Bar billiards
- Swings and large sandpit
- Croquet and badminton
- Barbecue
- Private swimming pool 15m x 6m (depth 0.7m – 2m), fenced, Roman steps.
- For further information on Terms and Conditions for this property please click here
WiFi
- All properties with WiFi are able to support basic functionality such as web browsing and checking emails*
* We aim to offer an uninterrupted service but sometimes due to factors beyond our control reliability can be affected.
Services
- Bed linen, bath and pool towels are provided
- Weekly 'boeuf bourguignon' evening, payable locally
Access times
- Check-in time – 5.00-7.00pm
- Check-out time – 9:30am (cleaners will start on the outside areas at 9am)
Getting there
- Airports
Limoges 76km
Poitiers 130km
Bordeaux 155km
La Rochelle 165km - Ferry ports
St-Malo 467km
Caen-Ouistreham 485km
Le Havre 566km
Cherbourg 610km
Calais 750km - TGV stations
Angoulême 26km
Libourne 118km
Surgères 122km
Bordeaux 148km
Location
Key Information
- Charente region
- Restaurants (Montbron) 10min drive
- Shops (Montbron) 10min drive
- Château de la Rochefoucauld 20min drive
- Angoulême 40min drive
- Limoges airport 1hr 15min drive
Villages
- St-Sornin (1km) – bakers and a small grocers
- Montbron (5km) – all shops and services
- La Rochefoucauld (13km) – all shops and services
Places to see
- La Rochefoucauld – the castle, a 'must-see', children and parents can dress up while they visit the castle
- La Rochefoucauld – Couvent des Carmes, gothic Church
- Montbron – a stunning walk along the river Tardoire to the castle of Ferriere, Charbrot, Menet and to the Mills of Menet and Chabrot. Small museum of Prehistory for children in Montbron (with activities in July and August) Many mills in the area are opened to visits – paper mills, stone mills, flour mills, visit Moulin de la Forge and Moulin de Vouthon to buy local oils
Activities
- Tennis in Montbron (5km)
- Bike hire in Montbron (5km) - bikes can be hired in advance and delivered to the property
- Outdoor activity centre 'Le Chambon' (7km)
- Canoeing – 5min drive from the house (highly recommended), very well organised, frequent departures on the Tardoire River
- Shopping in Piegut Market in nearby Dordogne (Wednesdays)
- 18-hole golf course at Ecuras (Golf de la Prèze – 10km) and Angoulême (25km)
- Sailing on the lake in Angoulême (25km)
- Riding at Pranzac (8.5km) – horses and donkeys
- Go-karting 15min drive
- Fishing on the grounds of the property
- Many walks starting from the house
Market Days
- Montbron (5km): small market on Friday and Saturday mornings
- La Rochefoucauld (13km): Saturday mornings
- Piégut (22km): a 'must visit' on Wednesday morning
Recommended Restaurants
- Montbron (5km): Pizzeria 'La Toscane' (good for children, garden with tables in the summer, low price)
- Moulin de la Tardoire near Montbron (7km): one Michelin star, booking essential
- La Rochefoucauld (13km): Chez Steph (medium price)
- Saint-Adjutory (15km): La Bellone (good for children and parents, medium price)
- Angoulême (25km): Chez Paul and Cokotte (both chic with friendly staff)
- Many restaurants from all over the world with a nice atmosphere during summer evenings in the old Angoulême
These restaurants have been recommended by our owners and this list is updated by us as often as possible. Their ownership and quality may have changed since the list was last updated
Thank you for giving us such a wonderful, restorative and memorable stay. You are a most gracious hostess. This is a most beautiful house, but most importantly, a happy house.
What a wonderful week we had at Le Petit Mas. The house is wonderful and the pool is like something out of a movie. Vero, thank you for your kindness and being an excellent host.
Veronique, thank you so much for a wonderful stay – you are the most solicitous host ever and a brilliant cook, the chocolate mousse was sensational. Thank you for all your wonderful suggestions of places to eat and things to do. What a fabulous place! I have never seen a better equipped kitchen or children’s playroom in all my years of renting houses, and all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzles are there!
As the sun slips behind the horizon, we reflect on our time at Le Petit Mas and what the children have described as the best holiday ever! We’ve had a fabulous week, enjoying walks around the local area, trips to Angouleme and Cognac, filling our shopping bags at local markets, but most of all playing in the pool and exploring the fantastic gardens. It really has been the most magnificent location for two families to play and catch up. A big thank you to Vero for being such a generous and gracious host – the pancakes and presenting a frog to the children were particular highlights. Sadly, not enough time to read all the books, play the indoor games and do everything else that we wanted to do. We will have to return. A huge thank you.
Le Petit Mas is an impressive house in a lovely tranquil spot, with a great terrace and pool. Veronique is the ultimate hostess - nothing was too much trouble and she always responded instantly, from helping us locate items we couldn't find in the house, to suggesting walks and nice places to eat. She also cooks delicious dinners (for a very reasonable price) - the chocolate mousse is to die for, and I say that as someone who is not very interested in either pudding or chocolate!
We found Le Petit Mas provided a very relaxing location for holiday, with the highlight being the pool and it's facilities. An added bonus was having Veronique as the host/rep, whose was always very quick to respond to our requests for information or recommendations.
We’ve had a lovely week staying at Le Petit Mas. Thank you so much for making us feel so welcome in your beautiful home. We’ve loved exploring the details – the artwork, the wooden furniture, the books, the incredibly well-appointed kitchen – your attention to detail is amazing. Thank you so much again.
Thank you so much for this wonderful holiday. We especially loved the outdoor terraces and the pool. We visited the monolithic church, Piégut markets and Le Rochefoucauld Chateau and they were all super! The holiday was very peaceful, quiet and relaxing – it was perfect. We also want to thank you so much for going above and beyond by helping us adopt the wild cat that adopted us while we were on holiday – your help and support (and French language) was really appreciated. Could not recommend this place more!
Perfect! Our holiday was absolutely perfect! Jonathan was incredibly helpful before we arrived and Veronique made us feel so very welcome at Le Petit Mas - from booking restaurants and kayaks to answering any of our queries (no matter how daft) she was amazing and even cooked us dinner one night! Le Petit Mas is stunning. The rooms are spacious and the house is very well equipped. I was thrilled to find a baby grand piano and enjoyed playing every afternoon. The pool is large and the pool area is so lovely with plenty of sun beds for all! Overall an absolutely perfect getaway from it all!
Two weeks of hot sunny weather at Le Petit Mas, what could be better? Aside from the bakers and the supermarket, we didn't go anywhere. Perfect just being here. Grand merci.
Thank you for an enchanting week at your petit slice of heaven, we really are not ready to leave! You have been hosts extraordinaire, so thoughtful and kind, it has been the perfect tonic for us all.
This was a family holiday of three generations and all agreed it was very good. Véronique, our hostess, was charming and very welcoming. She cooked two extremely tasty dinners for us and took great pleasure in telling us the history of Le Petit Mas as well as pointing us in the direction of many of the local attractions.
We cannot think of a more perfect place to spend a holiday. Thank you for all your help and the wonderful welcome meal.
Lovely house, lovely weather, wonderful host in Vera – sublime food. The youngest (5) loved it ‘in’ the pool and the oldest (83) loved it ‘by’ the pool! Thank you for a great break.
A multi-generational family holiday. Véronique kindly picked up two boys from the train station and the first things I noticed were a pretty posy of flowers on the table and a bowl of sweet, juicy cherries. This ancient home is a treasure trove, I kept finding more interesting pieces. It has been a delight. Véronique was readily available when we needed suggestions for days out. Much worth visiting but we were always happy to get back to Le Petit Mas, outside dining facilities were excellent and the barbecue first class. The kitchen was very well equipped – couldn’t wish for better. On arrival our first meal was a delicious beef casserole and crusty bread – enough for 11 hungry travellers, then surprise chocolate mousse for all – supplied Véronique – a wonderful hostess. We have had a very happy time together. With many thanks.
Thanks for a wonderful stay at Le Petit Mas. We had great runs, lovely fun in the pool with our young children and wonderful food. But most of all we loved the welcome and helpfulness from Véronique. Nothing was too much trouble. A wonderful holiday.
Our second holiday with Simpson and we will definitely be back. Everything was well managed from booking to departure flight. All the Simpson staff we encountered were friendly and professional. Thank you for making our family holiday special.
We all loved our stay at the beautiful Petit Mas. We could not be more grateful for all Veronique’s help and support from booking tables to giving us directions. The supper produced on our arrival was delicious and much appreciated. Our time was spent in the pool, playing tennis and fly fishing on the property, visiting markets and barbecuing the fresh produce plus wonderful walks. The grandchildren loved the dormitory at the top of the house plus all the games. Great fun for all three generations. Thank you.
We came to Le Petit Mas as two families with two toddlers and we all had an utterly lovely time. The children LOVED the play room – that was beyond our expectation and without doubt the best addition to a holiday that we’ve had as parents. Véronique was also lovely with the children, as she was our entire stay. Nothing was too much trouble. She had so many ideas for day trips and restaurants and even booked our taxi and restaurant – both of them (Chez Steph and Chez Paul) were lovely. We cannot speak highly enough of this lovely home and would love to return one day.
Thank you to Véronique for a wonderful week in her glorious home, Le Petit Mas. We had a fantastic time. The children (all five of them) have never had so much fun, whether playing in the dormitory, the games room or exploring along the river bank. The house is wonderful and we all had a very, very relaxing break. The highlights were the beautiful pool, the river, the wildlife (woodpecker, kingfisher, hummingbird) and let’s not forget the pancakes!
After returning from Le Petit Mas, our wonderful 15th century farmhouse nestled in the French countryside, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Simpson Travel. From my first phone call with initial enquiries, to a well-wishing e-mail after our holiday – all staff have been friendly, helpful and professional. I found the service received to be of a very high standard and we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. Many thanks.
Dear Vero – thank you for the most wonderful two weeks at Le Petit Mas. From the beautiful house with huge comfortable beds to the fabulous swimming pool, where Alfie finally learnt to swim, we have all been totally spoilt. Your ever-present smile and constant helpfulness made our visit extra special. You have a very special place and we will cherish our memories.
What a wonderful house – it’s so special. We had such an amazing week and such perfect weather too. The children loved the swimming pool and we spent most of our week playing there. The top floor children’s dormitory is also perfect. You were personally helpful to us with booking restaurants, answering all our questions instantly and generally there for us all week. Thank you.
Thank you to Véronique for a wonderful week in her lovely house. We had a great time and thought the countryside around was very beautiful. We enjoyed walking to the Roman bridge and visiting the castle. The grandchildren all loved being in the swimming pool and their parents have all had a really good rest. Thank you so much for making our stay so wonderful, we loved every minute.
We had the most idyllic stay in this wonderful home that Véronique, the owner, has built and filled with warmth and love. She was the most generous host, erudite and thoughtful, with an astonishing resolve of spirit. As soon as we drove through the gates at Le Petit Mas our welcome set the tone for the rest of the week – full of smiles and wonder. The restaurants recommended to us provided the most delicious food and in correspondingly beautiful surroundings. We hope to go back again one day.
Thank you so much. We had the most wonderful time here and I’m not sure I’ve ever stayed in a more beautiful house, so tastefully equipped and decorated. We were saying this morning that it’s even more homely than home! With many thanks, and we hope to come again.
We have absolutely loved our stay. This has been the best holiday home we have ever stayed in (and we’ve been to lots!). Thank you, Veronique, so much for being such an amazing host and for all your attention to detail. The children’s playroom is beyond wonderful with the toys of dreams. The kids have spent hours upon hours up there. The house is cool and beautiful – so comfortable with the best beds. Thank you so much. We will be back!
We would like to thank Veronique for her kindness and hospitality! The house was enjoyed by all, including my 3-year-old daughter! A beautiful home in such a wonderful location. We were never short of things to do, there was something for everyone. Otherwise, the rest of the holiday was enjoyed by the poolside. We would recommend! Thanks again!
We all just loved Le Petit Mas – we had an absolutely perfect week. The sun shone and the wine flowed. Cooking in the amazing kitchen was an absolute delight. Veronique is the perfect hostess – always on hand when needed. We have all thoroughly enjoyed exploring the area, and if in doubt about what to do, Veronique is an expert adviser. We could stay forever!
We were thrilled to be spending a week at Le Petit Mas. We have had a wonderful stay and enjoyed Veronique cooking for us – that is not to be missed! We explored as far as Cognac and that it is a great day trip. Thank you, Veronique, for being a kind and generous host – we loved your house!
The villa had plenty of space and adequate cooking facilities, pool was beautifully maintained. The villa is located in a quiet wooded area but within easy reach of Montbron and shops. We also found a lovely walk.
We were delighted when we arrived at Le Petit Mas. The house is beautiful. Traditional and comfortable and has everything eight adults and six children could need. The pool was glorious with plenty of comfortable sunbeds and toys for the children. The kitchen was very well equipped. We were so happy with the house we didn't bother going out to dinner. However the town nearby had a lovely supermarket and a little café for our morning coffee and croissants. Veronique, the owner, is lovely and was very helpful booking us canoeing and giving us any advice we wanted. A fabulous holiday and we will definitely consider going again.
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From the Dordogne’s forest-covered hillsides to the undulating countryside of Lot-et-Garonne, these fertile landscapes have long played their part in human history – the famous Lascaux cave paintings testify to that. For a taste of spectacular coastline on your holiday, head to Charente-Maritime or find a lakeside beach that’s perfect for a picnic – this region is known for its abundant food and excellent wines. Choose a restaurant in an ancient village square and enjoy the sense of history repeated.
And for a place to stay in Dordogne and the South West, explore our collection of luxury villas.
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