La Garenne is situated within a walled garden with beautiful rural views in a typically French farming hamlet. The six 2-3 bedroom gites surround a large enclosed swimming pool and heated toddler pool. There are lots of activities including a trampoline, a climbing frame, swings, tree ropes and even a hollow tree for hiding. All the gites face the play area, and have been tastefully restored to maintain their charming French character.

The gites contain a dishwasher, microwave, coffee machine, cooker, TV with satellite and a DVD player. There is a communal linen room with washing machines to be used free of charge. All the gites benefit from a large terrace area for outdoor living and relaxation. Some gites even have two terraces, offering private gardens at the back or side of the longere, with beautiful views to open farmland. Other family-friendly facilities include babysitting/kids club, welcome BBQ, home made French cuisine meal delivery, grocery delivery.

The accommodation available is as follows:

Le Pressoir: has three bedrooms. Le Pressoir: French doors lead from a front garden into a charming large and new fully-fitted kitchen and dining area, upstairs on the mezzanine level is the lounge and a “Romeo and Juliet” style balcony with beautiful views. There is also a separate, private outdoor dining area to the rear of the gite.

Rosier: has two bedrooms & sleeps 5. This is the largest of our two bedroom gites, approximately 120 square metre. The charming outdoor area is large with climbing roses, lavenders and hollyhocks. This is perfect for outside dining and enjoying cool drinks on hot summer days. From the terrace, large french doors lead to a charming open plan living/dining/kitchen area. This spacious room, complete with large oak beams and charentaise stonewalls, takes up most of the ground floor of the gite.

Jardin: has two bedrooms. You enter under a charming arch way with climbing flowers into your private garden and patio area full of flowers and French charm . From the garden there are views towards the communal garden, play area and pool. The perfect place to sit and relax with a glass of wine and unwind.

Maison Blanche: There is an open plan living/dining/ kitchen area with access to a rear private, outside summer kitchen with BBQ. Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms, 2 large double & one twin. The property currently sleeps 6 + cot

La Grange: has two bedrooms & sleeps 4. Situated on the end of the longere, La Grange benefits from two outdoor areas. A large area in front of the gite, equipped with BBQ and garden furniture, overlooks the garden, play area and pool. The second area is completely tucked away and very private overlooking open farmland.

La Maison Belle: Fantastic spacious and charming 2 bedroom gite (planned to be 3 bedrooms in 2011) with open plan living/dining area / kitchen. La Maison belle is at the end of the 16th Century Longere, and benefit from 2 out door spaces, one which is to the back of the property with a spacious and charming summer kitchen. Here you have wonderful views to open country side and morning breakfast can be enjoyed in the sun. However when the sun gets too much the covered space is also very useful.

This was the second time I and my family spent our holidays in La Garenne, France. I would strongly recommend this destination for families. La Garenne offers surrounds that we found to be peaceful relaxing and safe especially for younger children. The B.B.Q. held once a week gives families the opportunity to get to know each other. It also offers the facility of authentic french cuisine to be freshly cooked and deliveried to you (which we found to be great) and pottery classes for the kids was also great. They also hold a kids club once a week which gives mummy and daddy time to enjoy the fine restaurants near-by. The hosts Dorte, Richard and family will make your trip and stay extra special with the friendly advise and help they offer. We will be returning. Rating 5 out of 5, Mary Darren & family Ireland, Sep 2010.

We spent 2 weeks at La Garenne at the end of August with our children aged 6 and 8, and young baby. It is situated in a beautiful rural setting surrounded by vineyards and sunflower fields, yet is only a short drive to the nearest small town where there is a supermarket, newsagent, bars and a restaurant. La Garenne has all the facilities you need and our children would have been quite happy not venturing from the gite for the whole holiday. They made loads of friends with the other children staying there and really enjoyed the company of Oscar and Oliver, the children of owners Richard and Dorte. There are loads of possibilities for outings within a short drive of La Garenne. Bread and other essentials are available daily from a van that stops directly outside and you can also order delicious freshly-made meals to be delivered to your gite. We had a fantastic holiday. Rating 5 out of 5, Andrew, Sep 2010.

Beautiful setting, great hosts and lovely relaxing environment. Perfect for children and parents. A great formula for a family holiday. Rating 5 out of 5, Jo, Sept 2010.

We can't recommend this gite complex highly enough. The setting is stunningly beautiful, amid sunflowers and fields of corn, there is no traffic, no noise from planes...in fact the only noise you'll hear is that of your kids having a brilliant time. The large gated grounds are so safe, and filled with rope swings, slides, a trampoline, table tennis and toys for all ages, plus a seperately fenced in pool. All of the gites are beautifully decorated in Scandi/French farmhouse style with really comfortable beds and crisp white linen. The Hobson family welcome everyone like old friends and are a mine of information on the local region with fantastic advice on which days out suit which age children and exactly how far away things are. Even the dog and cat are a delight! There are lovely woodland walks, a great welcome BBQ, a weekly kids club and a charming local town with a weekly market. What more could you want?! Rating 5 out of 5, Jo, Aug 2010.

If you have young children then you'll know that if the children have a good holiday then you'll have one to. This was our third summer at La Garenne and, once again, it was just great. This girls had loads of fun making friends, learning to ride bikes, mastering the rope swing, inventing games on the trampoline and (kind of) swimming in the pool. Which meant that us adults could sit back in the shade and relax - marvellous. A highly recommended destination for families with children under 10 or so. Rating 5 out of 5, Mark, Aug 2010.

This is a charming location with good facilities for all the family. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Dorte and Richard are great hosts and the welcome BBQ evening is a fun way to start the week and meet other families. We enjoyed the additional facility of home cooked meals delivered to your gite which was a welcome break from cooking! Rating 5 out of 5, Trevor & Nicki, July 2010.

We have just had our 5th holiday and have already booked our 6th. We had a fantastic time and for the first time went tree climbing with our 4 and 5 year old - the smallest course is just 1 metre high and they go up from there. Roll on next year. Rating 5 out of 5, Lucilla & James (yes, editor), July 2010.

La Garenne is a great place for a family holiday. The gites are all very nice and well equipped, with cots, highchairs etc provided if required. The children have loads of fun playing in the garden, there are lots of toys and it is safe. You can sit on your patio while they play with their new friends. The welcome bbq is great fun, Dorte and Richard are superb hosts and you get to know your neighbours. The welcome meal on arrival is a great idea and the fact that you can have your meal delivered in the evening is just superb, it means you can relax and don't need to cook every night. There is loads to do in the surrounding area if you want a day out or just a walk in the fields and woods is also very nice. Our daughter really enjoyed the kids club too. Needless to say, we are returning this summer for our third holiday. Rating 5 out of 5, Joanne, Jan 2010.

This is a family friendly location - a lovely setting which is safe for children. Richard and Dorte are great hosts. They can provide all the necessary things you need for holidaying with children - cots, baths, high chairs etc. which makes travelling a lot easier. The ideal place for a relaxing holiday with easy access to lots of attractions and places to visit. Facilities are excellent with a pool and a baby pool as well as swings, trampolines and slides. Rating 5 out of 5, Caroline, Nov 2009.

I would recommend this property for it's location in beautiful tranquil countryside, the beautiful setting, the right number of gites - not too large and not too small. The villa's are beautifully and stylishly presented all with their own character, complete with all mod cons, clean and spacious. The Grounds are perfect for children lots of space and safe. The pools are perfect for children not to deep and this year the addition of a baby pool. Rating would have to be 5 out of 5 as our 4th visit booked for next summer. Andrea, Oct 2009.

La Garenne is a place that is well geared up for families. The Gites are all set around a lawned play area and the pool so it's easy to keep an eye on the little ones whilst you relax. The Gites themselves have everything you should need and have been recently updated. The hosts, Dorte and Richard are very welcoming and go out of their way to help. There is a welcome barbeque, baby sitting and freshly cooked meals delivered to your gite 3 nights a week so no need to slave over a hot stove if you don't want to! Can't recommend it highly enough. Rating 5 out of 5. James, Oct 2009

The safest, most family orientated, friendly and peaceful place ever, to spend a family holiday. Perfect for those who like to relax whilst knowing the children are playing safely in the massive garden, which is stocked with table tennis, trampoline, jungle gym, climbing trees, and a huge assortment of toys. The front of the property has another massive garden with a football pitch and volleyball/badminton net. There is an endless array of country lanes to walk around in, (we loved the hazelnuts and berries) sunflower fields everywhere and absolutely no traffic. There is also a swimming pool with pool toys. My children loved the family pets, especially Chianti the cat. There are plenty of opportunities for day trips, we particularly enjoyed a visit to Cognac and to the beach. Dorte & Richard are very welcoming, friendly and happy to help with any query you might have. The Gites are well stocked for everything you might need and there is a fantastic local catering company which for a very reasonable price, deliver home cooked fabulous food to your table for you. This is a wonderful service as with children, its not always easy to go out for something to eat and it's nice not to have to cook. There is a feeling of tranquility and calm in La Garenne and its a place I would highly recommend to anyone with children looking for a safe place to holiday where Mums and Dads can relax too. Rating 5 out of 5, Marie, Oct 2009.

Everything you want for a relaxing holiday with children. Plenty to keep them entertained, they are safe , there is kids club once a week which they loved and you can have some time to yourselves, there is babysitting, the welcome BBQ is good fun getting to know everyone catering service a big plus where you can have food delivered to your gite and enjoy when the children have gone to bed. There is lots to see and do for all ages in and around the surrounding area. The gites are clean and have everything that you need for a young family. Richard, Dorte and the boys are great hosts and we are already booked for our third year. Rating 5 out of 5, Heather, Oct 2009.

We have had so many fantastic holidays at La Garenne and we still go every year, I cannot recommend it highly enough - Rating 5 out of 5, Lucilla (yes, site editor!) Sept 2009