Following a dream to live in France, in December 2018 Lesley and Charlie Nicholson bought their beautiful Maison de Maitre, which is nestled in the vineyards at the rear of the little village of Louzac, just 7km from the beautiful and historic town of Cognac. A massive change in lifestyle, with no regrets, is now a reality. We moved in permanently in March 2019 and set about creating a Gite in the old stables, catering for parties of up to 8 people (10 if you don’t mind a sofa bed !).
The Charente is a beautiful area, renowned for it’s micro-climate. It is said to be second only to the French Riviera for hours of sunshine in France, which means that we often have warm days from March to October and even the winters tend to be mild.
Maison Tranquille provides peace and privacy without being isolated. The village itself has a small shop and bar and Cognac, with it’s beautiful waterfront on the Charente, has many wonderful bars and restaurants. Birthplace of King Francois 1st in the late 15th century, today it is home to many of the well known Cognac houses such as Martell, Hennessy and Remy Martin.
Louzac is also only 40km from the coast, where you will find many beautiful golden sandy beaches.
The house and Gite were originally built in 1865, so the renovation has been completed sympathetically to incorporate many of the original features such as lime mortar walls and exposed beams. However, there is a modern light kitchen and living area and a heated swimming pool in your own large private garden, which catches the sun all day long. Wifi, and satellite TV are also available in the Gite.
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- Dining Area Before Renovation
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- Living Area During Renovation
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- Kitchen and Dining Area
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- Sitting Area
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- Ground Floor Bedroom Before Renovation
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- Ground Floor En-Suite Before Renovation
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- Ground Floor Bedroom
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- Ground Floor En-suite
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- First Floor During Renovation
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- Upstairs Landing
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- Master Bedroom
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- Master Bedroom
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- Twin/Double Bedroom
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- Twin/Double Bedroom
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- Family Bathroom
There is an Intermarche supermarket 10 minutes by car from the Gite and Lidl, Auchan and other supermarkets in Cognac and the surrounding area. There are also numerous covered and outdoor markets selling local produce in the area.
The garden has a selection of fruit trees (cherries, apples, plums, pears and figs) which you are welcome to enjoy when in season. A poly-tunnel to grow vegetables is under construction so, if mother nature smiles upon us, freshly picked veg and salad may be available too.
