The
Longhouse
"After
a lovely stay in the Longhouse last October, we would like to return from the (coming) 20th to 27th
October. Kind regards"
- Alistair (Worchester)
The Longhouse
is a two story house spanning the entire end of a Charentaise barn.
Like many traditional rural French dwellings, it is effectively a stand alone house, with
outlook to the North, West and East, and shielded to the South by the barn - the massive stone and
oak-beamed grange.
The cool and shady veranda overlooks the swimming pool and provides panoramic sunlit views of the
surrounding vineyard and sunflower quilted landscape. This spacious, fifteen metre long
elevated veranda, perfect for dining and socialising, is our inspiration for the name,
"The Longhouse" - it's configuration evocative of the longhouses native to the jungles of Borneo.
Main floor - upstairs
The open plan
living room - Salle de Commune - is on the first floor*. This main room is
large, about 75 sq metres, 750 sq ft. It's 15m long north wall is nearly all glass, with 4 double
"French windows" and two double "French doors" which lead onto the
veranda.
There are two leather sofas, a superb glass fronted, cast iron, log burning fireplace, a DVD player and monitor, sound system and a
bookcase containing a selection of books, CDs and DVDs as well as about a 500 volume
"vintage" science fiction book collection - well we had to put it somewhere!
The island kitchen allows the "cooks" to look out onto the room and enjoy the
landscape beyond. The kitchen is fully equipped, including a large refrigerator and freezer, a
dishwasher, drawer units, an extra wide all gas cooking stove with oven.
The dining room table comfortably seats 6 to 8. A full set of dishes, cutlery, serving
crockery and tableware completes the furnishings.
Tucked
in behind the staircase surround is
a sleeping nook, for the extra accommodation of up to two additional
adults or children.
Downstairs
The back
entrance, which gives direct access to the swimming pool and the
car park, opens on to a wide corridor. Beside the door is a vestiaire (cloakroom)
which provides a hand basin and WC for those using the sleeping nook. Also, in the vestiaire
is the clothes washing machine; the vacuum cleaner, mops and brushes.
The master bedroom, with exposed beams and Charente stone walls is spacious. It has a
large double
bed, night stands and lamps, a settee, clothes closet, chest-of-drawers and full length mirror.
It's ensuite bathroom has a large (180cm, 6ft) bathtub along with a hand basin and WC.
Leading off the main bedroom is the
Morning Terrace, a private patio which catches the morning sun (to about 11 AM in the summer!).
The second bedroom is of the same stone and wood-beamed style. It, has either two single
beds or one large double
bed, a clothes hanging space, and furniture includes a chest-of-drawers, large mirror and it's ensuite
bathroom with a shower, hand basin and WC.
Décor and style.
Generally,
the style of the renovation of The Longhouse is traditional tradifage pointed Charentaise
stone walls, selected areas of white wall to reflect light, exposed structural wood including
massive beams in the
salle de commune and a wooden vaulted ceiling. The main
entrance, kitchen and all of the downstairs floors are of ceramic floor tiles. The main
living room has wall-to-wall "Berber"
wool carpeting.
For out-of-season
(Oct/Nov to Mar/Apr), in the livingroom upstairs is the
"friendly" log fire, an easy to use glass-fronted cast-iron wood burning
stove which tops up ambient temperature or "stays in" throughout the night.
The pictures decorating the walls are selected from a unique set of photographs taken for
"Time Life Books" by
photographer Anthony Howarth, while living for several months on the
island of Borneo, "up river" in central Sarawak, in a traditional Iban longhouse.
For some people, the pictures, or the nostalgic collection of books alone, would be reason enough to
chose the
Longhouse for their holiday. For others, there is the grand swimming pool and walled gardens
with the mature Lime and Walnut trees of Maison Borges; and the calm and quiet; and the delights of
the Charente-Maritime
countryside, towns, antiquities and attractions. And then, there are the glorious sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast and the Gironde
estuary; the seafood restaurants; the wineries and distilleries of Bordeaux and Cognac; the fresh sweet oysters sold on the local church steps every Sunday
morning....
The Swimming
Pool
The Polynesian
Pool is a 15
metres x 15 metres swimming pool with generous sunbathing space on it's wide, surrounding
tiled terrace, and a beach, and "Wildcat Island".
Location
Where are we?, Where in France?
(click for
details)
SCHEDULE,
General Terms & Conditions
(click for
details)
The master bedroom looking onto it's
Morning Terrace
The master bedroom's bathroom
 Home
Maison Borges, La Tournerie,
Gémozac 17260,
Charente-Maritime, France.
Tél: + 33 (0)5 46 95 59
54
e-mail: tobe@maisonborges.com
www.maisonborges.com
All content, unless otherwise attributed, is Copyright © C
Borges
2008.
.
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We did say, drop in. Roads are
uncrowded, as well.
The Longhouse overlooking the
"Polynesian" Pool
The wide, 15 metre long veranda looks out over fields, gardens, and the swimming pool
The living room of The Longhouse with
wall of "French doors"
The kitchen's island worktop
 Including microwave
and dishwasher, the fully equipped kitchen is "sociable"' looking onto the living room,
and veranda, gardens and countryside |
The sleeping nook with two full size
single beds
Facing east, the Morning Terrace gets first light
The second bedroom
 
The vestiaire and utility
room beside the downstairs exit leading to parking, poolside and the west garden
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