L'Espoir

Enjoy the Silence

L'Espoir

Situated in one of the sunniest parts of France Nouvelle-Aquitaine on the Vendee/Loire borders.

L'Espoir is south facing with a fenced and gated pool. The secure gardens offers you uninterrupted views over the French countryside.

About a kilometer away is our village of Boisme, where you will find a shop, butchers, Post Office and boulangerie for your morning croissants, freshly baked bread throughout the day, local vegetables cheese & eggs, wine and lots more. The boulangerie also serves tea,coffee and a selection of French pasteries.

Our previous guests have said they feel relaxed and stress less within hours off arrival at L'Espoir. The feeling of quiet calm in the country with it's birdsong in the mornings beautiful starry sky in the evening with the occassional shooting star makes for a truly French countryside experience.

The town of Bressuire is 10 minutes away where you will find large hypermarkets cafes restaurants speciality shops and the Chateau to visit.

The pool can be heated up to 28 degrees at a cost off £100 per week, this needs to be ordered 7 days prior to arrival. In our opinion in recent years it is not required during the months of July & August.

We offer an under occupancy rate. Please ask when you enquire.

1st bathroom is a shower room and WC downstairs with wash hand basin. Upstairs is the large family bathroom, consisting of over bath shower vanity unit wash hand basin and bidet. Both rooms have a shaver point and a hair dryer

Notes on bedrooms:
There are four bedrooms, one double downstairs, two twins and a large double bedroom upstairs.
Cots and baby equipment FOC+foldaway single bed for children up to 10yrs is also available.
All bedrooms have a electric fans and reading lights.
Air-Condition units available at additional cost of £25 per unit per week upstairs only.

 Notes on accommodation:
L'Espoir dates back to the 1800's although thoroughly updated with modern conveniences and fittings L'Espoir still holds many of it's historic French charm inside. Large oak beams in the ceilings log fires to cosy up to, parquet flooring on some bedroom floors, cool tiles in dining and sitting rooms.

L'Espoir is ideal for mixed generation holidays, large families or two families holidaying together, plenty of space inside and out. Modern flat screen Smart TV, if you have an Amazon firestick or Netflix/Prime membership you can log into it and enjoy your favourite programmes.

We have a good choice of books to read and board games to play.
Fast Internet wifi, is available in most areas of the house and is supplied free. Although this service works very well we cannot account for any unforeseen outage.
A toy box is in the hall for our younger guests.

The kitchen is well stocked with crockery & glasses and a large American style fridge/freezer.

The garden is spacious with a large lawn area for games, a large stone table situated at the bottom of the garden offering uninterrupted views of the countryside.

At the pool side there is a hot shower, the gardens have abundant fruit trees and flowering plants.

Outside:
The garden at L'Espoir is well cared for by our excellent house managers. There are many different plants which in bloom make the garden beautifully scented. There is outdoor lighting around the pool and at the terrace making it suitable to be outside all day long.
We built a large BBQ capable of cooking for 8+ at one time no need to cook in batches, it has a warming rack above and prep area at the side. Our recent addition is our large wood fired pizza oven.

The pool is 10mtrs x 6mtrs and has the sun all day, the pool is a constant depth of 1.1mtrs. The pool is accessed by steps. The pool is fenced and gated to the current French regulations. There is a hot shower next to the pool ideal for showering before and after a swim.

The terrace is just outside the kitchen door where a large table with 8 chairs, this is covered by a UV covered gazebo. At the bottom of the garden is a large round stone table and bench set next to the Boules court, we supply a set of Boules for our guests use.

Utilities
Washing machine, iron, ironing board, vacuum, clothes airier and outside whirly & pegs.

Cleaning / Towels / Linen 
All bed linen is included as is hand towels for kitchen and bathrooms, bath mats in each of the bath/shower rooms, tea towels & oven mitts. Please bring your own pool, beach ,bath towels and linen for the cot if required.
The property will be prepared for your arrival.

Other:
The dining room adjacent to the kitchen has a large wooden table with seating for 10. This room also has a large ceiling fan & log fire with views over the countryside. There are stair gates both top and bottom of the stairs for our younger guests.

Wheelchair users:
We do not recommend Lespoir for wheelchair users.

There is a full collection of leaflets and information booklets some with discounts within the house. Below is a small sample.

The Beaches

L'Espoir is under 2 hours from the sandy beaches of both Les Sables-d'Olonne and La Rochelle. Les Sables-d'Olonne is a seaside town in western France, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated on the coast between La Rochelle and Saint-Nazaire, near the coastal terminus of the A87 that connects it and nearby communities to La Roche-sur-Yon, Cholet, and Angers to the northeast. The nearest major metropolitan center of France, LaRochelle is more of a ports city with a large marina surrounded by returants and cafes. Just outside the city is a beach with plenty of tree shade for those wanting to avoid the strong sun.

Troglodytes

Dating back to the fourth century BC, Saumur was originally only home to the troglodyte caves and their inhabitants. The caves were first excavated to harvest the tuffeau limestone, which was formed over 90 million years ago when the Loire Valley formed the floor of a great ocean. Doué-la-Fontaine is a striking commune, near to Saumur. Offering vast troglodyte caves to discover, Doué-la-Fontaine is popular with anyone who wishes to explore French history. Within the Regional Natural Park of Loire-Anjou-Touraine, you can walk through silent caves with high vaulted ceilings, visit the town’s history museum, the Musée “Aux Anciens Commerces”, and the Zoo de Doué, a 14-hectare zoo home to about 100 different animal species. This area is fantastic for both cycling and horse riding, with many paths coursing through local vineyards. Stay in a real troglodyte cave when you sleep at Logis Hôtel Rocaminori, in Rochemenier, just outside of Doué-la-Fontaine

The Wine

Just north of L'Espoir and within half an hour you can access a vast selection of vneyards of the Loire valley. The Loire Valley is the heart of France, famous for its natural beauty, magnificent châteaux and great wine. The region is rich in history and culture: Renaissance writer Rabelais was born here; Joan of Arc led French troops to victory in the Hundred Years’ War in the Loire; and, as the Cradle of the French Language, its residents speak the purest French. Loire valley is a primarily white-wine region that stretches over a long distance along the Loire River in central and western France, and where grape varieties and wine styles vary along the river. Four sub-regions are situated along the river: Upper Loire is known for its Sauvignon blanc, producing wines such as Sancerre AOC, but also consisting of several VDQS areas; Touraine produces cold climate-styled white wines (dry, sweet or sparkling) from Chenin blanc in Vouvray AOC and red wines from Cabernet Franc in Bourgueil AOC and Chinon AOC; Anjou-Saumur is similar to the Tourain wines with respect to varieties, but the dry Savennières AOC and sweet Coteaux du Layon AOC are often more powerful than their upstream neighbours. Saumur AOC and Saumur-Champigny AOC provides reds; and Pays Nantais is situated closest to the Atlantic, and Muscadet AOC produces white wines from the Melon de Bourgogne grape. To the West the vineyards of the Vendee and south Bordeaux

Childrens Activities

ADVENTURE PARK 79 CHANTEMERLE The forest of chantemerle, La Chapelle St Etienne79240 MONCOUTANT SUR SEVRE This is a true adventure to share with family or friends the pleasure of swinging from tree to tree, on zip lines climbing frames or bicycles! Sports and sensational course composed of 6 sites on 56 activities (tarzan jumping, skateboarding, tightrope walker, cycling, sledging,...) ranging from green to black (possible escapes on all black activities) 6 zip lines or 400 m in total From 4 to 14 m high. A new game on the site n°6 for 2023 !! the COCO TARZAN.. to discover soon !! The Parc de la Vallée is an amusement park located on the banks of the river in the steep valley of the Argenton between Thouars and Argentonnay. Young and old will spend a pleasant day in a shady site. Indeed from 2 to 99 years old everyone finds his account in a family atmosphere in complete safety. For the happiness of all, you will find more than 40 attractions, an aquatic area, a show area, a souvenir shop as well as several food outlets and barbecues available to customers. Pony/Horse riding in Bressuire.Pony afternoons The pony afternoons start at 2pm until 5pm, they allow you to discover horseback riding for those who do not yet practice, to progress, develop your autonomy and have fun. These afternoons are also an opportunity to pass the Golden Pony for those who wish. On the program: Discovery of the world of the pony, games, walk, aerobatics ... Plan a snack for the 4h. Prices: 30 € in the afternoon email: equitation.bressuire@orange.fr

Marais poitevin

The Marais poitevin is one of the main assets of the Southern Vendée region. At one time, it was entirely covered by water, but thanks to the monumental work and ingenuity carried out by man, it has now become an exceptional region. It provides a wide range of activities that are all set in a magnificent green landscape also known as the Green Venice. The region has obtained numerous awards (labels) such as Regional Natural Park (Parc Naturel Régional), Great Sites of France, as well as European Tourist Destination of Excellence. The Marais poitevin is an ideal destination for slow tourism and environmentally friendly activities… canal boat trips in the green Venice, bird watching, cycling, fishing, hiking and many others…. Why not give it a try?

10 Pin Bowling

There is a twelve lane 10pin bowling alley in Bressuire about 15 minutes away. It serves pizzas and has a lunch menu. Opening hours vary depending on the day but a sample is below for information. Prices may vary from below and are for guidance only. Before 7:30 pm Monday to Friday.............................................. 4,50 € Saturday + eves of holidays......................................... 5,50 € Sunday + public holidays*......................................... 6,00 € After 19:30Monday to Thursday......................................... 5,50 € Friday......................................... 6,00 € Saturday + eves of holidays......................................... 7,50 € Sunday + public holidays*......................................... 6,00 € Bowling - Bocapole 79300 BRESSUIRE

Saumur

Originally a part of the cavalry division, the Cadre Noir was transformed into a riding school to carry on the traditions of French horsemanship. Now, part of the National Riding Academy, the skills perfected over the years are displayed during shows that visitors all over the world can come to see. From animal lovers to anyone looking for a good show, the Cadre Noir is a perfect choice. Address: av Ecole Nationale D Equitation,49400,Saumur France Langlois Chateau The makers of some of the finest wines in the Loire valley, Langlois Chateau is a family business that was started in 1885. Langlois Chateau not only offers a tour of their vineyard and caves but also of the factory where all their wine is produced. Started by Vanessa Godfrin, at Le Secret des Papillies, Offering full-day and half-day tours, attendees are first taken through the vineyard where they are given the history as well as the process of wine-making in Saumur. Later, they are shown the Tusseau caves before heading back to the shop. Once the bottles are popped open, guests learn how to taste wine, try local delicacies and find out how to pair wine with food. This is a place that simply should not be missed.

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