The farmhouse situated in the hamlet of Le Grand Chaillaud is some 8 hours drive from the Channel ports when including stops. We chose the route west of Paris via Rouen and Chartres, then south via Orleans. Also decided to break both outward and return journeys with stopovers in Chartres. This gave a clear 4 hour drive to/from the farmhouse.

The hamlet is small, no more than a dozen houses, of which a third are holiday properties, and is situated on a loop road off the D901 that connects the village of Coussac-Bonneval with the market town of St Yrieix-la-Perche. While you can hear some road noise and the occasional train passing on the track the other side of the road the location is tranquil with only the post van or a tractor to disturb the peace of the hamlet.

The farmhouse has been thoroughly and tastefully renovated to a high standard. Upstairs there are three bedroom, one double with en suite and a further double and another with twin beds. There is also a full bathroom. The stairs are quite steep, a bit of a problem for very young children and the elderly. As we fell in the latter category we used the twin bedded room downstairs which is situated next to the ground floor toilet/shower room, effectively providing an en suite.

There is a large farmhouse kitchen area with all facilities for easily 8 - 10 people. The lounge area has several armchairs and sofas and is equipped with satellite tv, dvd/video etc. There are also plenty of board games to be found in the cupboards.

Outside there is a gravel courtyard with a very large barn opposite the house. This has not as yet been renovated and is used primarily as storage. In the courtyard is a trampoline and an inflatable pool is available as are many other outdoor games/facilities ie boule, darts, table tennis plus a bbq. The property has a large field with plenty of space for further activities such as badminton.

The Mediaeval market town of St Yrieix is a 10 min drive to the west and has supermarkets plus hardware stores, garages and a range of shops. The local services, police, fire and medical, are all to be found here plus a good swimming pool.

Coussac-Bonneval to the east of the hamlet has bars and a small shop.

The surrounding countryside is beautiful with many chateaux and interesting towns and villages. We particularly liked Segur-la-Chateau, Uzerche, Hautefout and Jumilhac-la-Grand.

In all this is a great place to relax and enjoy provincial France at its best.