Home / Properties / Chai

The Chai

As an appendage to the main farmhouse, the barn has served many functions over the course of the last couple of hundred years. Amongst its roles it has provided a home for pigs, and has been the main wine store, or chai. The barn seemed a rather unoriginal name for us to give to our second home, porcherie was particularly unattractive hence our final choice.

The properties were purchased by us in September 2007 with a view to spending more time in France as the years pass. Our travelling days are not over however, and so we are able to offer the use of the Chai along with the Farmhouse in the hot summer months for large groups and families. Out of the peak season the Chai can be let by itself, and will sleep up to 8 people. Future developments include a pool and summer kitchen which we hope to build during the autumn of 2010.

The Chai has been furnished with a combination of new and antique furniture exported from England and locally sourced items. We have furnished it as a home rather than as a business, and we hope that this will be appreciated by our guests. 

The inside of the property may be summarised as follows:

Living/Dining room:
2 large sofas, dining table with 8 chairs, dresser, sideboard, large glass-fronted wood-burning stove in inglenook type surround, Bose MP3 sound dock.

Kitchen:
Spacious, with central island, dishwasher, fridge-freezer, abundant work surfaces, microwave oven, conventional oven with built in hob (bottled gas), dresser.

Bathroom:
bath, sink, toilet, bidet, shower. Toilet.

Hall:
Desk, bookcase, built-in wardrobe. 

Bedroom 1 – front:
Double bed, bedside cupboards, armoire, built in wardrobes, chest of drawers, beamed ceilings, beautiful view through French windows towards Saint Clar.

Bedroom 2 – back:
Double bed, bedside cupboards, wardrobe, chest of drawers, beamed ceilings.

Utility:
Washing machine, sink, ironing board and iron, work table. There is a tumble dryer, but unfortunately this is for our own use only.

Bedroom 3 – upstairs, annexe:
Twin beds, bedside cupboards, chest of drawers, built in wardrobes, small en-suite bathroom with shower.

Bedroom 4 – downstairs, annexe:
Double sofa bed, sofa, blanket box, Flat screen TV with satellite connection, DVD player with a selection of DVDs (film and TV), computer with internet access.

Bed linen and towels are provided

In addition there are two covered outside areas which are particularly pleasant during the warmer months of the year. One of these leads from the living room, kitchen and annexe, and contains a large monastery type table with benches which tend to be the main dining area for long lazy breakfasts, and evening meals watching the sun set over the rolling Gersoise countryside.

The property is served with mains electricity and water and there is a connection with France Telecom with free land-line calls to France and the UK. If you have a sky satellite subscription the satellite box will accept your standard sky card (not HD) otherwise a small selection of British channels are available. There is a desktop computer with internet access together with a printer. As is normal in rural France the waste system uses a septic tank or fosse septic which is relatively new and should not fill up in the near future! The central heating is oil fired with radiators in all rooms and there is a plentiful supply of chopped wood in the car porch to feed the stove in the living room should it be needed.

Covered and free standing parking is available for upto 5 cars.