Jane Healey's selection of French property for sale

About my area

I live on the borders of Haute Vienne and Indre in beautiful rolling countryside full of rivers, lakes, woodland and fields. If you want a slower pace of life and to enjoy clean air and beautiful views, then this is the place for you. This area is a perfect place to unwind and really take on a more laid-back French way of life. There are so many lakes where you can go fishing, take leisurely walks in beautiful surroundings or sit and ponder and take in the amazing views. The Lac de Saint Pardoux is biggest lake in Haute Vienne and has adventure play areas, water sports and even a beach to relax on, but each local lake is well maintained and provides the perfect place to stroll and take in the fresh country air. During the long summers all the local communes are alive with lots of markets, brocantes and festivals. We have bigger towns nearby such at La Souterraine, Montmorillon and Le Blanc each with its own style of amazing French architecture and, of course, lots of restaurants, bars and boulangeries. There are also plenty of smaller picture-perfect places to visit including the stunning medieval towns of Saint-Benoit-du-Sault and Le Dorat. France is so vast, so diverse and so beautiful and just has so much to offer. Living in the middle of it, as we are, gives us so many opportunities to visit different places and experience many different aspects of the French lifestyle. If you want a fix of busy city life, you can hop on a train at La Souterraine and you are in Paris in just 3 hours (3.5 hours if you drive), fancy a dip in the sea, it’s just a short drive to La Rochelle, you could just nip down to St Emilion to get some fantastic wine, or you can visit the more mountainous region of Correze with it’s rugged landscapes and alpine feel - the choice is never-ending. We really have the best of all worlds in this lovely location.

About me

We moved here permanently from Kent in the UK in October 2020. The countryside here is not too dissimilar to that area - only there are a lot fewer traffic jams and people …and a lot more trees and cows. We have nearly finished renovating the house we are living in and have just started the work on a rundown farmhouse to convert into a gite. We’ve also just converted an old derelict barn into an above ground swimming pool. This was a challenge to say the least but it was perfect for cooling off during the long hot summer and it was well worth the effort. The pace of life is a total contrast to the busy one I had before in the UK. This place gives you a chance to reset, have some balance and realise what is really important in life. I have now changed course again, as I wanted to get to get into a job which would enable me to meet lots of lovely people, look at all different types of houses and get to know the area even better. For me working for Leggett is the best opportunity to do all of that and still enjoy the tranquillity of this beautiful part of France