The Charente is a little-known area nestled between the Dordogne to the south and the Vendee to the north. The historic town of Angouleme is 20 minutes drive to the south of us and Cognac is just 45 minutes to the west.

This area is famous for its butter, goat’s cheese, ducks and geese (fresh and confit), foie gras, Barbezieux chickens, pork specialities such as rillettes, grillons and pates, snails, cherries, early strawberries, garlic shoots, asparagus, ceps and fragrant Charentais melons.

The coastal region between La Rochelle and Royan is just over an hour’s drive from us. Here you will find the best mussels and oysters you are ever likely to taste, sardines and loads of other wonderful fish and shellfish, plus fabulously waxy Ile de Re potatoes, grown in the sandy coastal soil.

The vineyards that surround us mainly grow the Uniblanc grapes used to make Cognac and Pineau de Charentes (an aperitif made with a blend of grape juice and cognac).

We are 20 minutes from Angouleme airport, and in the summer there is a Ryanair flight in from Stansted every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We can collect you from Angouleme for a small transfer fee.

Ryanair flights from Stansted in to Poitiers, (1 hour away,) are on Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and Monday, and from Poitiers you can hire a car, or get to Angouleme on the train, where we can pick you up.

There are flights from other UK regional airports in to Poitiers , Limoges , (1½ hours,) La Rochelle , (1½ hours,) and Bordeaux , (1½ hours.)
You will need to check the websites for the times, etc.
ryanair.com
flybe.com
easyjet.com
ba.com

By ferry, we are 5½ hours’ drive from Caen and 6 hours from Le Havre.

By train, St Pancras International to Angouleme takes a little under 6 hours by Eurostar and TGV, changing at Lille or Paris.

We are also around 8 hours’ drive from the Channel Tunnel.