| About our region Le Bignon is an
18th Century manor house located in the historic 'pays
Baugeois' region of the Pays de la Loire. This is
peaceful, moderate and gentle countryside with many
wooded areas lying just to the north of the river Loire.
Less than 10 minutes drive away lies the 'Reserve
Naturelle de Chambiers,' a mixed forest with miles of
gentle paths and a beautiful lake- the perfect place for
relaxing throughout the seasons.
Our
nearest village is Jarze, a fifteen minute walk away. It
is a typical mixed farming and small business commune and
has a post office, pharmacy, small supermarket, 2 bakers,
a butcher/grocery and a bar.
Some 9 kilometers to the east is the larger, old town of
Bauge - an attractive, bustling little market town with a
larger supermarket, small shopping "High
Street" and a number of cafes and restaurants.
Convenient for ferry ports (Caen 2.5 hours, Boulogne 4.5
hours), low cost flights and TGV (Angers 20 minutes,
Tours 1.5 hours, Nantes 1.5 hours), our elegant manor
house rests in 4 acres of peaceful grounds, providing
immediate relaxation with quality home comforts.
And yet it is within easy reach of major châteaux,
vineyards, the historic centres of Angers, Fontevraud and
Tours and the magical town of Saumur, offering a holiday
to remember.
Many
guests also enjoy a day in Paris (90 minutes by TGV from
Angers) or stay with us for the races at Le Mans ( 45
minutes drive).
About
our property
Chambres
d'Hôtes
" We have had a week of absolute
luxury! Everything has been wonderful and we have felt
totally spoilt. Thank you!" Mrs H, Bradford on Avon
Le Bignon has been carefully restored to combine
eighteenth century charm and elegance with twenty-first
century comfort and convenience.
Le
Bignon Chambres d'Hôtes offer:
King size/twin beds
Luxury ensuite shower roms
Guests' sitting room
Egyptian cotton bedlinen
Large fluffy towels & bath robes
Roget et Gallet toiletries
Terrace & grounds
Heated pool
Extensive breakfast buffet
Fabulous 4 course dinner (by reservation)
The
Rooms
Located on the 2nd
Floor, our three fabulous  rooms are light and bright with a
low key elegance. All three rooms are based around
classic Toile de Jouy, but each has its own feel and
personality!
We have made sure we
haven't forgotten the basics like good comfortably firm
king size or twin beds, a bedside table with a good
reading light and room  for a carafe of night time water,
somewhere cosy to sit and enjoy a quiet drink and mirrors
and electric points that allow you to dry your hair
without being a contortionist (of course we have provided
a hairdryer).
But we have also tried
to give you a few surprises, like supremely indulgent
Egyptian cotton  bed linen and a choice of firm or soft
pillows, cosy covered hot water bottles for those of you
who suffer from cold toes, even in summer (I know and
sympathise!), your own mini fridge so you can enjoy fresh
milk with the tea and filter coffee you will find in your
room ( as well as keeping your emergency bottle of white
wine nicely chilled).
And in the ensuite
shower rooms ... plenty of hot water from showers that
can give you a good pummel or a gentle caress, deep pile
towels and generously sized bathrobes, room to arrange
your own travelling essentials without having to live out
of your toilet bag and a selection of quality soaps and
toiletries.
The
Sitting Room
Great bedrooms are essential but when we are away, we
always like to have somewhere else to enjoy a drink, dip
into a few magazines and books, perhaps play a game or
two of cards or simply to have a chat with some fellow
guests. I don't know if you feel the same, but just in
case, the Sitting Room should do nicely.
Located on the
ground floor, cosy without being small, elegant without
being formal, the Sitting Room has a warm terracotta
tiled floor, a lovely original marble fieplace and a
relaxing outlook over the gardens. There are plenty of
books and magazines, and a variety of cards and board
games, comfy sofas and armchairs.
The
Dining Room
A short step from the Sitting Room takes you into the
Dining Room where the aim is simple. To provide fabulous
fresh food, prepared with enthusiasm and a true love of
cooking and served with a smile.
The room
itself is large and airy with a great view over the
garden. Here again we have an old terracotta tiled floor
and a large original marble fireplace. The tables are set
simply with white table linen, good glassware, candles
and fresh flowers from the garden.
The
tables can be arranged to suit you, either singly for 2
or put together to cater for parties up to 12. Since you
simply cannot hurry a good meal, the chairs are crucial
(particularly if like me you get the occasional
backache). We spent months searching for the right
chairs, looking for that combination of good looks,
sturdy construction and maximum support and comfort.
Finally
we think we have found them and jolly nice they look. But
we can always find that extra cushion for support if you
really can't relax as we would wish you to, just ask.
Prices
and booking information
Prices in
euros
Chambres
d'Hôtes 2008
Price per rooms per night
inclusive of breakfast buffet
| |
|
| 1,
2 or 3 nights |
€95 |
| 4+
nights |
€80 |
Our
4 course Table d'Hotes dinner plus coffee, served 5
evenings a week, is available to all guests at a cost of
25 Euros per person.
Please
see
www.lebignon.com for special
offers
Self
Catering
Vine
House (sleeps 6)
Vine
House is a wing of the Manor which we believe was  originally the kitchens and coach
house, now restored and converted to a self contained
holiday home for six people. The name Vine House comes
from the wonderful dessert grape vine framing the front
of property.
Three
car parking spaces on the forecourt are allocated to Vine
House, and you can, of course, drive right to the front
door for unloading when you arrive.
Ground
floor
The ground floor with its original terracotta
floor-tiles, divides naturally into:
A cosy
sitting area and a country style kitchen and dining  area.
The sitting area is
dominated by a massive stone fireplace with an original
cast iron fire-back. Grouped around the fireplace are
generous comfy sofas perfect for relaxing. Curl up with a
drink, take your pick from the selection of games, books,
cds and videos, or enjoy satellite tv.
A
door leads from here directly onto the terrace which
faces the pool and has outdoor furniture and a barbeque.
At the other end of the
room is:
The
superbly equipped kitchen area with cooker, microwave, fridge and
dishwasher and plenty of crockery, glasses etc. All the
kitchen equipment including the knives has been chosen by
the cook, for quality not economy. The large dining table
comfortably seats eight.
For
convenience, there is a large ground floor shower room with walk-in shower, w.c. and
wash basin as well as your own washing machine. (A rotary
washing line is at your disposal located behind the old
stables).
Upstairs
The
staircase leads up into the pretty beamed attic, where we
have created three double bedrooms and a bath/shower
room.
The
Jade Room, built around the exposed chimney breast,
has twin beds which can be joined to make a superking
size and there is plenty of space for a cot if required.
The Pink
Room
is built across the full width of the wing and the far
wall of the room has a half height window with a
balustrade so you can make the most of the sunshine and
enjoy the countryside views. There are twin beds which
can be joined to make a superking.
The
Pumpkin Room has a
recessed window with a cosy window seat and a king size
bed.
All three rooms are furnished in country style with
plenty of storage space so you can unpack properly, a
dressing table and hairdryer, wonderful
comfortable beds with Egyptian cotton bedlinen, spare
blankets and pillows and fluffy towels and dressing gowns
are all included.
Food
The
kitchen at Vine House is equipped for 'proper
cooking' but there may be times during your stay when you
want to really get away from it all. Please feel free to
tell us if you would like to take our wonderful breakfast
or fabulous evening meal ( we pop a menu in to you at
breakfast time) without the need to cook for yourselves
or drive to a restaurant.
When you arrive at Vine House, a welcome basket of bread,
butter, milk, tea and coffee and of course wine (plus a
few other surprises) will be waiting to greet you.
Prices
and booking information
Prices in
euros
Vine
House 2008
| Price per week inclusive
of heating, linen & weekly clean |
| |
|
| Low
season |
€585 |
| Mid
season |
€1240 |
| High
season |
€1490 |
Low Season:January, February, March, April, October,
November, December except weeks commencing 23rd and 30th.
Mid Season: May, June, September, weeks commencing
23rd and 30th December.
High Season: July & August
Please see
www.lebignon.com for special offers
Food & Drink
The breakfast buffet is also available to
guests staying in Vine House at a cost of 9 Euros per
person.
Our 4 course Table d'Hotes dinner plus coffee, served 5
evenings a week, is available to all guests at a cost of
25 Euros per person.
'Dinner at Le Bignon - Recipes from a
Loire Manor House'
We published this book after many requests
from our guests and is available for purchase at £6.50
plus 95p p&p - just email for details!
Service
Your relaxation is paramount. We’ll take care of all
your arrangements, wherever possible, including
restaurant reservations, golf tee-times, wine tastings,
cycle hire, painting tours, bird watching etc. A weekly
clean and linen change is included.
Le
Bignon is situated at the end of a lane with stone
pillars and a gravel courtyard to the front and extensive
grounds to the side and rear.
The
Grounds
The
grounds include a large mixed flower bed ( my particular
labour of love, but worth it for the joy of a constant
supply of seasonal flowers for the house), a large rose
and lavender border edging the rear terrace, the kitchen
garden (which so far has supplied us with carrots,
lettuces, aubergines, tomatoes, courgettes, melons, leeks
and savoy cabbages) so Peter can serve you vegetables
with that 'straight from the garden' freshness.
There is
also the orchard with a variety of apple and pear trees,
used to make everything from tarte aux pommes to chutney
and apple butter, the walnut, mulberry, plum and damson
trees, put to good use for the breakfast jams and
jellies, as well as the pond ( home to a dozen baby newts
and seven fantastic frogs at the last count!), the meadow
and the woods.
Whether
you prefer the shade of a tree, a sunny spot for soaking
up the sun or a wander amongst the roses and lavenders,
Le Bignon will welcome you.
The
Heated Swimming Pool. 
We have placed our pool in a lovely sunny spot by the
meadow and the old stables. It is 10m x 5m with a
"Roman End" and slopes from a friendly 1m deep
to 1.5 m deep. There is also a refreshing solar heated
shower.
Surrounding the pool is a spacious terrace equipped of
course with sun loungers and chairs so you can relax with
a book, a drink, the sun or all three!
In the
old well next to the pool, (from which we pump all our
water for the grounds and garden), you will find a handy
cool box with water and soft drinks and supplies of pool
glasses (unbreakable!). Glass of any kind is not allowed
on the pool side.
The pool is available for that early morning dip from
7.30 am and is usually closed after dinner around 9.30pm.
No need to take your bathroom towels to the pool - we
provide pool towels in your rooms..
Le
Bignon Golf Breaks
Our golf
breaks offer you:
* Four top quality golf
courses, all in superb condition and of a standard to
suit all levels of play
* All arrangements
including reserved and guaranteed tee times, buggies
hired, meals organised and competitions administered, if
required
* Liaison with the
course managers to make your welcome at the golfing venue
as warm as it is at Le Bignon
* Discounted green fees
Great accommodation and
room to relax and dissect the round at the end of the
day!
Options for non-golfing
guests including wine visits, gliding experience, visits
to local markets and shopping, sightseeing and chateaux
visits.
To
complement the top class golf, Le Bignon offers you
quality accommodation, either in Chambres d'Hôtes or in
Vine House, wonderful food and wine, a heated pool and
extensive grounds,and the very warmest of welcomes.
We also offer you choice. A Le Bignon Golf Break can be
as flexible as you require. There are no minimum numbers
(apart from the Competition Package) and if you prefer to
compile your own itinerary, that's fine - Peter has
personally 'tested' the courses and will be happy to
advise.
For
further details of our golf breaks please click
here.
Getting
there
Le
Bignon is perfectly situated for either a short break or a
full scale holiday. We are an easy 25 minutes drive east
of Angers and 35 minutes north west of Saumur. Ryanair
has a great service from Stansted to Tours, which is only
an hour and a
quarter away. Alternatively, Air France flies from
Gatwick to Nantes, also an hour and a quarter away. Flybe
flies from Southampton to Angers airport (10 minutes
drive) between 27th May and 27th October.
High
speed trains now run from London Waterloo to Tours or
Angers.
By ferry, Brittany Ferries' western routes from
Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth allow a shorter drive in
France than the Dover or Folkestone routes. Brittany Ferries
also now have a high speed Sea Cat from Poole to
Cherbourg.
However, the new A28 motorway has reduced the drive from
Boulogne/Calais to a very comfortable 4.5 hours.
For further details and photographs please visit the
owners' website at:
www.lebignon.com
To book please
contact the owners:
Peter &
Wendy Chapman
Le Bignon
49140 Jarzé
France
Click here to
email the owner
Tel: 02 41 33 88 38
International: +33 2 41 33 88 38
When booking this property please
mention Relax in France
Back
to top of page
|
