L'Ecurie - sleeps 2

B & B   £35 / 45€ per night for 2 people.
Extra people by arrangement (please contact us for further information)

From Bordeaux

The directions from Bordeaux are relatively simple.

Follow signs for Paris - A10 (autoroute), and stay on the autoroute, passing Saintes and Niort (junction 32).

After passing J32, follow signs for Nantes - A83. Once on the A83, you exit at J11, St. Maixent l'Ecole, where you pay your toll of less than 18 Euros.

Continue to follow signs for St Maixent l'Ecole, on the N11. You will pass the small towns of La Creche and Kadore. As you enter St Maixent at a roundabout, go straight on into the town centre, and you will start to descend slightly, passing several sets of traffic lights. At the bottom of the hill you will come to a roundabout, where you turn left, towards Parthenay - D938. Follow the D938 towards Parthenay, and after about 15 minutes you will see a Karting and Paintball centre on your left. Sortly afterwards you will enter Reffannes, where you negotiate a couple of tights bends before the road starts to climb. You turn first right, just after the Town Hall,, signposted Vausseroux. Follow this road and pass the local tip (Dechetterie) on your left before climbing to a "Stop" sign. Turn right, still following the Vausseroux signs, and then first left, a small lane which is signposted for Les Cartes Follow the small lane to its end, where you meet the D176 at L'Hopiteau. Turn left, and La Metairie is the first house on the right.

Total journey time: approx 2 hours 30 mins.

From Parthenay

The ring road around Parthenay is a normal road with many roundabouts. You need to find the D176 - signposted Vausseroux - the junction being a roundabout. The roundabout is situated between the exits for Poitiers (N149) and St. Maixent L'Ecole (D938), and there is a Europcar car hire office at the junction. Once you leave the ring road, the houses soon give way to fields, and you will pass a sawmill on the right, Follow the road sharply to the left, Ignoring the road straight ahead which leads to Pompaire. You go over a small stone bridge with a lake on the right, and then climb a small incline, passing some farm buildings at La Sicaudiere. You will meet a crossroads where you must give way, before going straight ahead (still the D176 for Vausseroux). Stay on this road until you reach L'Hopiteau, a small hamlet with 4 houses on each side. There is a T-junction left signed St. Martin du Fouilloux. Go straight on, and entrance to La Metairie is the first entrance on the left, about 40 metres after the junction. Total journey time approx. 15 minutes

From Poitiers

Follow signs for Poitiers Airport (BIARD). Pass the airport on your right. At the 2 nd set of traffic lights (about 500metres from the Airport roundabout), turn left onto the D6, and stay on this road through Vouneuil sous Biard, Lavausseau, Benassay, and Vasles.

From Vasles, take the D59, signposted Parthenay, and you will come to a crossroads with the D738. Turn left towards St. Martin du Fouilloux. Go through the town towards Vausseroux. As you enter Vausseroux, turn right immediately before a Animal Feed Supplies Company (Fleury Negoce). This is the D176, and L'Hopiteau is 3kms away. "La Metairie " is the first property on the right as you enter L'Hopiteau.

Total journey time: approx 45 mins.

From Calais                 

From the ferry port, initially follow signs for A26, & then the A16, towards BOULOGNE & ABBEVILLE.  At Abbeville, you take the A28 towards ROUEN. When you reach ROUEN, you have a choice….TOLL or NON-TOLl.
TOLL:   Follow signs for CAEN, on the A13. (approx 20kms) & then take the A28, towards ALENCON, LE MANS & TOURS.  At Tours, take the A10 towards BORDEAUX, & leave at Junction 29, signed MIGNE-AUXANCES & PARTHENAY. (N147/N149) After 33kms or so, arrive at a small town called LA FERRIERE. At the centre there is a crossroads with an open car park area on the right. Immediately after the crossroads, turn left, onto the D738, towards ST MARTIN du FOUILLOUX & VAUSSEROUX. Go through ST Martin du Fouilloux & into Vausseroux.  As you enter Vausseroux,    turn  right, BEFORE the large factory (Fleury Négoce) onto the D176. (Signed L’HOPITEAU). Follow this road for about 4 kms.  La Metairie is 30mts on the right after you enter L’Hopiteau.
NON-TOLL:  From ROUEN, follow signs for EVREUX (N154) by-passing EVREUX, DREUX,  to CHARTRES, where you pick up the A10,  through CHATEAUDUN, VENDOME, CHATEAU-RENAULT, TOURS, CHATELLERAULT & POITIERS.  Now follow directions as above (“from POITIERS”) 

Total journey time: 7 – 8½  hrs.

Parthenay
A medieval town of architectural, artistic and historic interest, Parthenay was a major stopover on the road used by pilgrims making the trip to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Parthenay plays host to many festivals through the year, including the international festival of games, and world of music festival.
Poitiers
The nearest large city to Parthenay, Poitiers is considered to have one of the most interesting sets of Romanesque buildings in France.
La Rochelle
The Old Port area, with its sheltered harbour, is protected by two 14th Century stone towers. Superb restaurants line the quaysides and nearby streets, with seafood an expected speciality. Numerous reasonably priced boat trips are available, with Fort Boyard a popular choice, or visits to the Ile d'Oleron, Ile de Re, or Ile d'Aix.
Loire Valley
Riverside cities of Angers, Saumur and Tours are all within an easy drive. Numerous Chateaux, vineyards, museums and other attractions, such as the Cointreau factory at Angers, which have regular guided tours, sampling, and discount factory shop.
Atlantic Coast
Spectacular large, safe, sandy beaches with good surf. Coastal pine forests with woodland paths. Many resorts, including Les Sables d'Olonne, famous for its extensive beaches, the numerous restaurants, and for being the start/finish point of the Vendee Globe yacht race.
Cognac
Cognac is rightly renowned for the production of fine brandy and associated products, with distillers such as Martell and Remy-Martin in location. Guided tours and sampling are offered, often free. Cognac itself is a beautiful old town, with fine buildings and restaurants.
Dordogne
Famous for its beautiful scenery with riverside fields and undulating hills, the region is also home to many fine chateaux, underground grottos and caves with guided tours. Of course, as with most places in this region of France, the Dordogne has numerous vineyards, including St Emillion and Bergerac.
Futuroscope (Poitiers)
Using the most modern projection systems, Futuroscope offers the visitor the chance to enjoy breath-taking, unique adventures on land, sea, and in space. With futuristic architecture, unmistakable to the passing traveller, the attractions include IMAX theatre, simulators, Cine 360 and surround-sound audio. In summer months there is a late-evening fireworks and laser show.
Puy du Fou & Grand Parc (les Herbiers, near Cholet)
Within an hour's easy drive, the Grand Parc is a historically themed park, with attractions including a retelling of a Viking invasion, a recreation of the battle of Donjon, and a falconry display which features over 40 birds flying simultaneously. More recently, they have designed the Stade Gallo-Roman, which is a Roman amphitheatre used to depict a Roman love-story and includes a chariot race " a la Ben Hur ".
In summer months, on most Friday and Saturday nights, the Puy du Fou takes place on and around the lake in front of the nearby Chateau. This unique spectacular show uses dramatic lighting, music and special effects to depict the history of the Vendee region. Participants are volunteers from local villages, and number around 2500 in total. New for 2006 a show about the famed 3 Musketeers!
Pescalis (Montcoutant)
Dedicated to fresh-water fishing, this attraction caters for anglers of all abilities. Specially managed lakes provide over 200 acres of fishing, with a choice of angling areas. 'fly-fishing' in varied environments, a carnivore area, ground-bait fishing, and game fishing area designed for round-the-clock angling.
Marais Poitevin (between Niort & La Rochelle)
This is an area also known as Venice Verte or Green Venice, owing to the elaborate network of canals which run through the fens. Escape from it all on the tree-lined waterways, which can be navigated with or without a guide, in traditional flat-bottomed punts, rowing boats or canoes. There are also numerous quiet cycle paths available for those who wish to explore the area on bicycle.
Monkey Valley (Romagne)
A unique site of its kind, Monkey Valley contributes to the conservation of endangered species, and features over 25 different species of monkey and ape, living in natural woodland settings.

Golf at Chateau Des Forges
There is also a superb golf course within 20 minutes drive, with a choice of three 9-hole courses, with prices from 20 Euros for 9 holes.

You can contact us in several ways:

You can use the form opposite to request availability
and to ask us questions about the gites.
You can telephone us on: 00 33(0) 5 49 95 28 73 from outside France
or via our mobile on: 00 33 (0)6 78 37 00 39

( if calling from within France, simply drop the national code of 0033)

You can also email us at : markandanita@lametairie.net

Contact Form