Amazingly the inside is not nearly as small as the outside would lead you to believe. I have always thought that the Tardis designer must have been French in a previous life – or would that be the Doctor? From the rear courtyard we entered via the external staircase to the balcony and French doors into the living room. This is a comfortable room with a wood-burning insert stove and leads to the kitchen dining room. I liked the layout and fitment of this bright kitchen, with a door onto the street giving a very short walk to the shops (downhill). Also on this level is the very modern fully fitted bathroom
Upstairs there are four bedrooms, all built into the eves of the house, but with plenty of head-height. Also a toilet and shower-room is being installed on this level. Beneath the house is the large garage, workshop and wine cellar (of course). The courtyard at the rear is small and forms part of the drive to the garage, but with this and the balcony it is ideal for pots of geraniums to brighten the place up.
The village of Charroux is full of history. Hard to believe today that in the 9th century this was the site of the largest and one of the most richly endowed Benedictine Abbey’s of the western world. All that remains today is the shell of the Tower which once stood above the crossing of the nave and transept, and part of the cloisters. Today the village benefits from a bypass and the centre has that typically French pavement café culture, without the exhaust fumes. The weekly market is held in the 16th Century covered market place, and there is a range of small shops for day to day necessities. Civray and Gencay are reasonably close for more extensive shopping.© |
