Guests say
Guests are consistently delighted with The Millhouse, praising its beautiful setting, well-kept gardens, and fantastic pool area. The property is celebrated for its comfort, style, and comprehensive amenities, making it suitable for both adults and children. The hosts, Steve, Manisiah, and Sylvie, receive special commendation for their warm hospitality and helpfulness. Memorable events like weddings and family gatherings are exceptionally catered for, with attention to detail that contributes to the property's charm and appeal.
There is no specific mention of cleanliness in the reviews, therefore it is not possible to provide an accurate score for this category.
While guests mention the property's idyllic location and proximity to local attractions, there are not enough detailed comments to accurately score the location.
The Millhouse is consistently described as comfortable, with guests noting the property's ability to accommodate large groups without compromising individual relaxation. The presence of various amenities and the property's design contribute to the overall comfort experienced by guests.
Facilities at The Millhouse are highly praised, with guests mentioning the stunning pool, outdoor BBQ, pizza oven, table tennis, pool table, and children's play area. The availability of a chef service further enhances the property's facilities, ensuring a luxurious and enjoyable stay.
The thoughtfulness of the hosts is evident through mentions of a warm welcome, helpful local advice, and the provision of a welcome basket. While such gestures are greatly appreciated by guests, it is politely noted that these are not guaranteed for every stay.
About this property
Set in its own beautiful and secluded grounds, The Millhouse provides exceptional accommodation in the heart of the Charente Maritime countryside. The relaxing surroundings combine with the charm of this historic mill to provide you with the perfect way to unwind.
The home has ten ensuite bedrooms in total, Wi-Fi throughout and beautiful grounds featuring a stream and rivers, landscaped gardens and wild flowers. There are nine bedrooms in the main house, one including a sofa-bed, available for 18-20 guests whilst a self-contained one-bedroom apartment with a sofa-bed in the lounge sleeps a further 2-4 guests, bringing the total capacity to 20-24 guests.
Memorable evenings can be spent in the beautifully lit dining room where you can gaze at the cleverly designed glass feature overlooking the stream running through the room towards the waterwheel. In the summer, head outside and relax by the poolside cabana, enjoy meals together by the stone-built barbecue or prepare pizzas in the traditional bread oven.
Families are made to feel especially welcome with a wealth of facilities from board games by the cosy fire to table tennis and football, not to mention the lovely children’s play area outside. Then of course there is the glorious heated swimming pool with its own kids corner and ample space for grown-ups to relax on the poolside terrace.
Close to the historic towns of Saintes, Cognac, Taillebourg and St Jean D'Angely, the Millhouse is in a wonderful location. It’s only forty minutes from the coast where you’ll discover wonderful sandy beaches and a strong sense of the region’s maritime history. Nearby you can also visit beautiful vineyards and market towns selling local fresh produce and seafood. The Charente Maritime region has an exceptionally sunny climate and is a wonderful area to visit.
The Millhouse, which was voted one of the 25 best villas in Europe by Conde Nast, is the perfect venue for your holiday and the enthusiastic owners will be at hand to help you have a memorable stay.
Close to the historic towns of Saintes, Cognac, Taillebourg, St Jean D'Angely and only 40 minutes from lovely beaches in the area, the Millhouse is in a wonderful location. There is easy access to Angoulême, the capital of the Charente, the major train stations, international airports, and only 4 hours from St Malo ferry port.
The Charente Maritime region is exceptionally sunny, and has its own micro climate as a result of the Azores' anticyclone, making for mild springs and pleasant autumns. Along its 470 kilometers of coastline, the Charente Maritime has around 110 beautiful sandy beaches. Needless to say, seafood is a speciality here. It is steeped in culture and history and boasts 500 years of Maritime history from the imposing outline of Fort Boyard to the stocky coastal fortifications of La Rochelle. Inland and around the area it boasts over 400 stunning Romanesque churches. It is a place where the land meets the sea and is reflected in the beautiful shades of the wooden shutters adorning the honey coloured sandstone houses.
The house sits among the farms and vineyards that produce the famous Pineau Charente aperitif grapes which produce a sweet wine and is located approximately 14 kilometers from the main Saintonge city of Saintes (saintonge means saintes area). Saintes was originally a roman town situated on the banks of the Charente river. At most times during the year there are various festivals and markets selling local produce, fresh fish, seafood,poultry, fruit and vegetables.
The nearest major airport would be Bordeaux (Merignac Airport) which is about 1-1/2 hrs drive away. La Rochelle a slightly smaller airport is located 45 minutes drive away and there are many budget airlines flying from the UK to La Rochelle.
Paris is about 4-1/2 hours drive from the mill. The mill is also accessible via TGV trains from Paris and the nearest station is Saintes or St Jean D'Angely. Both towns are about 15 - 20 minutes drive away.
Accommodation
Main House Interior (up to 20 guests including sofa-bed)
Ground Floor
- Spacious foyer with the main stairway leading to the upper floor giving access to the East and West wing bedrooms
- Large, spacious reception rooms with beautifully furnished contemporary interiors
- Formal dining room, which comfortably seats up to 20 people and a millstream that runs through the house to the Mill-wheel at the rear of the property (there is small wall suitable for seating and viewing the stream via a toughened safety glass viewing panel)
- Open-plan modern kitchen with two dishwashers, large dining table and chairs and doors leading onto the covered wooden decked patio area
- Large salon with traditional Charantais fireplace, three large comfortable sofas and 50" TV with Freesat (just bring your own SKY card), Blu-ray DVD player and a quality music system
- Fully-equipped utility room with washing machine, tumble dryer, disabled toilet, baby bath and cleaning equipment
- Garden room/bedroom with twin beds, a separate downstairs toilet with large shower, vanity unit and hairdryer
First floor
- Balcony with two large sofas and well-stocked library
- Master bedroom with double bed, double sofa-bed and en suite bathroom
- Four double bedrooms with en-suite bath/shower rooms
- Three twin bedrooms with en-suite bath/shower rooms
Four additional beds (suitable for children) can be arranged on request in advance - they can be placed in some of the double bedrooms.
Self-contained Apartment (up to 4 guests including sofa-bed)
- Lounge with double sofa-bed and a 42'' flat screen TV, blue-ray DVD player
- Twin bedroom and bathroom
Outside Grounds
- Large 12 x 6m salt water, heated swimming pool (available approximately May to end-September, from 9am-9pm) with an attached 4x3m kids pool and automatic safety cover
- Wooden decked patio area with a large table and chairs and poolside cabana
- Charentais stone built BBQ and Weber Genesis gas BBQ
- Pizza oven
- Wide sun and shaded terraces with extensive grounds
- Solar heated pool shower
- Children's playground: swing set, slide, trampoline
- Grounds feature stream and two small rivers
Facilities
- Wi-Fi
- 50" plasma TV with Freesat (just bring your own SKY card), Blu-ray DVD player and a quality music system
- 42'' flat screen TV with blue-ray DVD player
- CD player with iPod docking system
- Gym equipment: step machine, small weights, gym fitness ball
- Garden games: badminton, table tennis table
- Baby equipment: two cots, baby bath, bath toys and two cots and highchairs
- Wii games
- Billiard table
- Board games
- Books and magazines
- Toys
Reviews (71)
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G.M.
We want to tell you what a wonderful week we spent there. Your house and gardens are so beautiful and every thing had been thought out and provided for. Our four grandchildren were particularly enthusiastic (and noisy, thankfully no near neighbours) and absolutely loved being in the pool and on the trampoline. We also explored the area and went to the beach one day. Sylvie, the caretaker, is wonderful, it was a joy to meet her and she was incredibly helpful to us all. Many thanks for providing such a wonderful venue for our family holiday - it could not have been more perfect.
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G.M.
We want to tell you what a wonderful week we spent there. Your house and gardens are so beautiful and every thing had been thought out and provided for. Our four grandchildren were particularly enthusiastic (and noisy, thankfully no near neighbours) and absolutely loved being in the pool and on the trampoline. We also explored the area and went to the beach one day. Sylvie, the caretaker, is wonderful, it was a joy to meet her and she was incredibly helpful to us all. Many thanks for providing such a wonderful venue for our family holiday - it could not have been more perfect.
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Ria
Time with family is precious. As my parents get older, my siblings and I raise our own families, and the littles becoming adults and teenagers - we realize that time is fleeting and change happens in the blink of an eye. Millhouse is a place where time stops. You are transported as you drive up to the house through fields of wheat and sunflowers, small country roads where local residents happily give you directions - they know the house and they are clearly happy for us! Then the gates open and Sylvie welcomes you with a giant smile and a basket of goodies (handy when arriving on Sunday when stores are closed) and a fridge full of eggs, ham, cheese, and juice. The house and grounds are divine, we lost ourselves in time during our week long stay - we delighted in daily deliveries of baguettes and viennoiserie, the perfect pool for littles and big kids at heart, the big grassy fields for play and fun, and all the games. The house had space for us to come together - in the big kitchen, the outdoor spaces, the big comfy living room - but also had spots for us to be alone to rest and relax. The rooms were well appointed - cozy private respites from the hustle and bustle of all the family activities and sounds. Sylvie and her husband cooked a wonderful dinner for us - and it was made with love and the best ingredients. We were so spoiled by Sylvie and her husband and I highly recommend having them come cook a meal for your family and guests. Daniel and his family have kept the property to great standards - everything was clean, kitchen was well stocked, the pool was pristine, and the grounds immaculate. My family had a wonderful time - from 80-year old grandparents, to middle aged siblings, young adults, teenagers, and all the way down to our youngest at three years old. Only The Millhouse could meet and exceed the expectations of such a big family like ours with such varied interests. Each of us go to go on little adventures - Il de Re, Saintes, Cognac, and Plage Sauvage and the house was close enough that all those were easy day trips. My family are still texting our group chat about how magical our week was at The Millhouse the memories we made that will last a lifetime. The rustling of the leaves on the trees from the breeze, the baby kittens we spotted behind the firewood (and the kids fed!), the beautiful hydrangeas that made us all smile, the bees hard at work....memories that we cannot wait to return to.