Maxine ENDERBY's selection of French property for sale

About my area

I am based in the south of the Deux Sèvres 79 on the borders of the Charente Maritime 17, within 10 kms of the Charente 16 and just a 30 minute drive from the Vienne 86.

This area has a wealth of historical treasures. The ancient route Saint Jacques de Compostelle, lined with fine examples of Romanesque architecture, passes through the lovely market towns of Melle, Aulnay and St Jean dAngèly, to name but a few, each with their own distinct appeal and thriving weekly markets.

Situated in the South West of France, the Poitou Charentes benefits from a micro climate giving us hours of sunshine from Spring through to Autumn and even warm enough on the odd day in winter to lunch al fresco.

The area, mainly agricultural, has a varied landscape with its fields of maize and sunflowers in the summer and the acres of vineyards leading down to Cognac and beyond. Walking and cycling are a real pleasure along the miles of white tracks or chemin which weave their way across open countryside and through forests. The rivers Charente, Vienne and Sèvre Niortaise flow through the region and along with the numerous lakes give endless hours of pleasure offering boating, swimming and fishing.

Niort is the capital town of the Deux Sèvres with main line railway station, fabulous shopping and gateway to the Marais Poitevin.

Beaches to the west around the beautiful town of La Rochelle are great for a day trip or even a short break and the ferry ports, for access to the UK are, St. Malo (4 hours), Caen and Le Havre (5 hours) and Cherbourg (6 hours).

This truly is a fabulous place to live. I hope I can help you find your own little haven in France.

About me

I moved to France with my husband and two children in 2003 and after travelling throughout the Poitou Charentes, we finally settled on the southern boundary of the Deux Sèvres.

Apart from my schoolgirl French, our language skills were non existent, but before long the children were immersed in the French school system and very soon were understanding and speaking the language. Now teenagers, in the latter stages of education, they are totally bilingual – it’s a joy to hear!

We bought a ruin situated in a small hamlet, which is still an ongoing project we enjoy working on – often with plenty of advice from the friendly neighbours. Apart from the delightful pale limestone properties, the climate was one of the main reasons we chose the Poitou Charentes, coupled with the fact that we still have good access to the UK.

Our many visitors have an excellent choice of travel options, flying from local UK airports into La Rochelle or Poitiers, by ferry into St. Malo, Le Havre, Caen or Cherbourg, and with the Eurostar, rail travel is a definite option into Poitiers. I love to take them for walks with the dogs or cycling through our local forest and then a bit of sightseeing to discover parts of the region I have not yet visited, to stop off for a picnic or a fabulous French lunch in one of the many excellent small restaurants, or just sit with a coffee on the terrace of a local bar and watch the world go by.

We enjoy the more relaxed lifestyle, tending to entertain French style around a large kitchen table, enjoying the company of neighbours for an aperitif, a glass or two of the inexpensive but excellent wine, or the local tipple Pineau. But of course, from as early some years as April, it is possible to entertain around the barbecue – pure bliss!!