About-us
Welcome to Gites Limousin.
We aim to offer you a very peaceful and relaxing experience, so if the days pass by without you noticing, then maybe we have done our job ~ simply take a deep breath, empty your mind, sit back and relax.
We love spending as much time as possible outdoors. Living here, in this serenely beautiful countryside, we enjoy nothing more than ambling along amidst the abundance of nature and wildlife. Taking pleasure in watching the seasons come and go along with the changes they bring. Perhaps if we’re feeling a little ‘energetic’ we may engage in some gentle, leisurely activities including walking, cycling and swimming in the summer.
The local countryside
With so much natural beauty on the doorstep the location is ideal for exploring either on foot or by bike. You can wander through the countryside on the numerous tracks and paths or, simply meander along the small lanes, dappled in sunlight, stumbling across hidden lakes and sleepy hamlets along the way. The air is fresh and the lakes are warm; just leave your busy life behind and come and experience peace and tranquility.
Set off straight from the front door: strolling leisurely, hiking purposefully; or maybe a bit more energetically, jogging or cycling …
The gites through the grapevine
Go in any direction and you will be met with beautiful enchanting scenery, lakes and woodland; historic sites and sleepy towns in the vast unspoiled countryside.
We have hopefully put together some useful information on the following pages, so you can start planning in advance …
Beautiful, inquisitive Limousin cows
Our other passion is for antiques and collectables:
The gites have been furnished mainly with things that are either ‘old’ or ‘interesting’. It’s fun to spend time spotting all the different little pieces that are dotted around. Investigate all the treasures that we have found in the numerous brocantes and vide grenniers that are held weekly throughout the region. Perhaps even go to one yourselves to see what hidden gems you could find to take home as a memento of your holiday:
antiques in ‘La Vienne’ master bedroom
We have two gites, enabling us to accommodate 8 people comfortably:
Each gite has been renovated to a very high standard; being sympathetic to their origins ~ quirky in places / traditional in others. They are both very similar three storey cottages, dating to the late 17th / early 18th century. Both gites have two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Hopefully we have provided everything you need to make your French holiday a dream vacation:
restored with care, La Vienne kitchen
We also have two barns where you can store bikes should you wish to bring them with you, or if you hire them from one of the local companies when you arrive.
You may even get to try the tandem if you are feeling brave …
One barn is used as our studio. The main part is situated on the first floor with a lovely balcony that overlooks the properties ~ certainly difficult to get any work done when the sun is out!
The other half of the barn is open to the roof, and it is in those rafters where one of our frequent guest spends much of his time. We are of course referring to one of the resident ‘little owls’ who despite their cute looks, can be a noisy little whotsits when we are trying to work; screeching as they fly around the barn, mesmerising the cats.
Our resident Little owl
We have also been privileged to have had at least one pair of barn owls nest around the property annually:
We originally noticed them in 2015 when we were lucky enough to watch the 3 owlets fledge into adults. We even had to temporarily hand-rear them ourselves for a couple of weeks! In 2019, they raised their brood in the attic above our bedroom. There were 4 owlets that year and it was such a thrill to watch them learn to fly ~ however ~ it has to be said, it was a very noisy few months! For the last three years their preferred location has been the studio barn, with between 2 and 3 baby owlets fledging into adults.
The wonderful thing about living in the countryside is the abundance of animals, birds and alike that simply live all around you, which makes sitting outside ~ at anytime of day or night ~ a joy to behold.
Some of ‘our’ beautiful barn owls
Dark skies:
Having little to no light pollution here at night, you will be amazed by the number of stars that you can see simply with your naked eye. It is especially rewarding for those guests coming to stay from towns and cities where the majority of the stars are obscured by the glow of the street lights. It is a true wonder to behold.
Simply sit and watch the sky and maybe, if you’re lucky enough you may catch a glimpse of a shooting star, passing comet or a space station.
Stunning dark skies
If you are looking for more information about things to do, the lifestyle, or just a whole lot more about what is going on and happening in the area, please take a look at our Facebook page:
If you would like to know a little more about us – this is another shameless plug:
my tiny work
Another of our passions is ‘Miniatures’ or ‘Dolls House Miniatures’ or all things ‘tiny’. As a maker, we have a studio and showroom in one of the barns and we are always busy creating new and exciting things. In the future we aim to offer group workshops, but nothing is planned on paper yet; however, if you would like one-to-one tuition, please get in touch and perhaps make it part of a weeks vacation:
small-time
small-time facebook