The house:
The house is situated on the edge of Taponnat, a very pretty village easily accessible from the N141. The views are rural as there is a lime-tree avenue leading to the local manor house, which separates the grounds from the rest of the village. There is a bar/restaurant with attached small grocery shop just up the road which is perfect for an early evening drink and cheap lunch. Booking is needed for evening meals. (Closed the last two weeks in August). The boulangerie sells fresh bread, pastries and sweets. (Closed the first two weeks in August). Taponnat is situated between two market towns, each are 2-3 miles away and are well served with restaurants, supermarkets, doctors, pharmacies and all other local amenities. The closer of the two towns, La Rochefoucauld, has a beautiful chateau which is open all year. An enormous amount of period costumes are provided for children and adults to dress up for the entire visit.
The local area:
This part of France is unspoilt and really beautiful. Details of rambles are kept in the house, but for the less adventurous there are a selection of early evening strolls from the house through lovely woodland, past smallholdings, over a stream and through the village. If you can tear yourself away from the house and pool for a short trip, there are lots of ideas in the house. There are several lakes nearby with beaches for bathing and cafes serving English type food. One has mini golf and pedaloes, and the other is adjacent to a large swimming complex with wave pool, slides etc. There are two golf courses nearby, and fishing too. This area is famous for the Resistance in WWII, and there is a very imposing monument 3 miles away. A little further afield is Oradour, the village where the entire population was slaughtered by the SS. It has been preserved intact and there is a museum on the site. Most visitors go to visit one of the cognac houses which are less than an hour away.
Transport links and further information:
The closest airport is Angouleme which is less than half an hour away. It takes Ryanair flights from Stansted in summer, but Limoges airport takes flights all year round from several UK airports and it's an hour away. Some guests fly in to Bordeaux or Poitiers which are both about a 2 hour drive. The drive from the Midlands to Taponnat takes us 12 hrs door to door including crossing from Dover to Boulogne.
The city of Angouleme is well worth a visit. For teenagers, it has some well known shops and McDonalds; for the more mature, it has a pedestrianised cobbled 'old town' full of cafes and bars, and walks around the ramparts which feature magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. Angouleme is the comic-strip capital of the world, and a festival of the 'bande dessine' is held each January. The city is also famous for its wall murals - details are kept in the house. For motor racing fans, the 'Circuit des Ramparts' is a car race held on the third weekend of September each year.
Other Activities:
The large heated pool is perfect for families. It is the same depth throughout (1.5m) so adults can walk comfortably within their depth.
