BOOKINGS ONLY ACCEPTED SATURDAY TO SATURDAY UNLESS SPECIFIC MESSAGE REQUEST SENT AND AGREED WITH OWNER. Our spacious, family French Holiday home is situated in the historic Place du Marche of Richelieu, a 17C small walled town with all amenities in walking distance but very central for visiting Loire and Poitou area. Chateaux, Leisure lake and rivers, Golf Courses and Futuroscope all a short driving distance. It is a great area for cycling and there is a new 'off road' cycling track on the old steam railway line from Chinon to Richelieu. There are several 'Voie Verte' tracks in the area. Our house has a huge, covered safe, storage area for your bikes. Bikes can be hired through a local agency in town. It is a large property retaining many original features. It is entered through the 12ft oak doors which open onto a secluded shady, open air courtyard. It is divided into two houses connected by a central corridor. The Front House is not rented out and is kept locked. PETS ALLOWED No extra charge. The renovated 4 bedroom, 3 bathrooms, Garden House with all rooms overlooking the secluded, south facing walled garden is the house offered for holiday rentals for up to 6. The house is suitable for families, child and toddler friendly, with the owner’s baby/children equipment available if required (free of charge). The garden is completely enclosed and a great place to relax with your children, or pets (which are allowed on request.) There is a large patio with seating for 8, sun loungers, Webber BBQ and a built in splash pool which is great for cooling off or for children to play in. There is no need to drive anywhere! All the facilities of a small town are just a short walk, including Carrefour supermarket, Boulangerie, Butcher, cafes and restaurants. We regularly relax in the cafes around the square with a coffee, beer or glass of wine watching children play happily around (or in!) the fountain and Les Halles. The Richelieu outdoor pool and children's play area, are open in summer months. No problems with parking either! This is free outside the house and all around the Square. Bring the grandparents too they will love it. Our Garden house is arranged over three floors connected by the original wooden staircase. The entrance hallway leads to the living room with log burning stove, two sofas, large flat screen TV+DVD, with a SAT recorder box, CD player and FREE WiFi. Full oil central heating is available if required but this is charged on amount of fuel used. We have a library of books, films, CD's, children's toys and games. The living room has double doors (with safety gate if required) opening onto the patio and garden. The kitchen/dining area has large oak dining table which seats 8,spacious storage, a 6ft fridge/freezer and a separate fridge that can be used for drinks. It is fully equipped with ceramic hob and fan oven, Bosch dishwasher and microwave. All our cooking utensils, cookery books and MP3/iPod player and charger are available for your use. There is also a high chair and toddler seat available on request. The ground floor also has a large bathroom and shower, with utility area (washing machine/tumble dryer/iron and board) and a separate toilet. The first floor has two huge wood floored bedrooms both with newly refurbished adjacent bathrooms - The yellow room (with double bed and an extra single bed) has the large bathroom, shower and a separate toilet and the Blue Room (with double bed and full size cot) has a fully tiled shower room and toilet. The second floor has a further two large double bedrooms. The Pink has twin single beds and a travel cot and the green a double bed and a single bed. Pets are allowed, on request, but must be kept in ground floor areas and are not allowed on soft furnishings. I have a French friend, Emmanuelle, who lives locally and is our manager. She welcomes guests for us and is available to help with any problems you might have or appointment's required (ie with Doctor or Vet). She also arranges the cleaning and laundry. She is happy to help with any cleaning or chores during your stay. This can be requested in advance or booked on arrival. Agreed payment is paid directly to Emmanuelle. Although the house has 4 large bedrooms and can sleep 10 it is only offered for rental for a maximum of 6. (Pets welcome on request). ABOUT THE AREA AND THINGS TO DO. The Richelieu tourist office, two doors from our house, can provide up to date information on the many local and area activities, day trips, fetes and tickets. The South Loire area offers a temperate climate between April and October. Richelieu is a great location for clients able to travel out of high season, take advantage of traffic free roads and stay in a small, market town, where all facilities are walking distance. The town itself is not 'touristy' even in July and August but there are often queues for the main Loire attractions which can be crowded in these months. Richelieu is an unique example of 17thC French town planning and today this 'cite ideale' is a listed site. The main 'Grande Rue' is lined with 28 private townhouses. One of these imposing townhouses has an interactive display and story of Cardinal Richelieu, his town and the lost Chateau. The 17th century Church, Town Hall (with museum) and Les Halles are all situated in the Place du Marche, along with our house. The huge park with the remains of Cardinal Richelieu's Chateau is just 2 minutes walk and a huge, peaceful area to cycle and walk at any time of year. It is rarely busy and also great for children and dogs to play and run about in safety. It also has outdoor pool(summer months only) children's playground, tennis courts and boules area. After a days sightseeing all the cafes, restaurants, shops are walking distance. No need to drive for shopping or a meal out! Located at the crossroads of Touraine, Anjou and Poitou Charentes. Richelieu is a great location for visiting the many famous medieval towns of Chinon, Tours, Poitiers, Loches, Saumur,Fontevraud, Villandry and Azay la Rideau. All these are within an hours drive as are many other famous Chareaux of the Loire. Walking,Cycling, Canoeing and Golf are popular activities in this area. Futuroscope is an exciting theme park just 45 minute drive. It is suitable for all ages. 1 or 2 day passes are available. Puy du Fou is a great day trip. One of the top attractions in France. Fabulous for a family outing. (Tickets have to be booked online and they are often fully booked months in advance) The zoo at Douay and Monkey world are popular day trips for families. Close to Saumur are interesting troglydyte attractions, mushroom farms and at Gratien and Meyer demonstration and tastings of Champagne(method!) production. Chinon vineyards are based along the Vienne and well worth a visit for both the Chinon reds and local Rose wines There are numerous local vineyards( our house book lists many of those that we have tried.) Restaurants in small villages with amazing value all inclusive menus. There are many Michelin starred ones too. There are several local cafes and restaurants in Richelieu with good value menus and Vins du Maison! Our house is well equipped for home indoor or BBQ cooking. Any questions please contact me!