Frequently Asked Questions
View from the hill behind the house
What's the best way to get there?
We've tried them all. There is now a much greater choice for getting here than when we first bought the house. Most visitors, with luggage and packets of Typhoo and jars of Marmite, will be coming by car and for that it's up to you what crossing you select. The nearest port with ferry services is St Malo and that's about five hours drive, but it's mainly auto route and pleasant enough motoring. The Calais option is between six and seven hours driving and involves the ring road around Paris. But hey!
You can fly via a number of carriers from Gatwick to Bordeaux and hire a car. Now that Ryanair have axed the Bordeaux route from Stansted, this is not a cheap option, and although Bordeaux is only an hour or so away, we don't care for the drive especially. There are also flights to odd places like Biarritz, La Rochelle and Poitiers, but that will involve a longer drive. Recently we have been using Ryanair's service to Bergerac, and hiring a car from there. It's probably a ninety minute drive, but it's a very pleasant ambling route.
If you don't want a long drive and are prepared to haul your luggage there is an excellent train service to Angouleme which is but 35 minutes drive away. It's the Eurostar from Waterloo via Lille or Paris and it costs around £120/140 return. There are plenty of hire car services at Angouleme station. If you're an AA member you can get a 15% discount with Europcar, so hiring could be as little as £15 per day for the smallest category of car. We use this a lot for shorter trips. Book before you leave the UK.
You can quote our Bonnes Vacances reference number (10271)when you have decided on your mode of travel and they offer substantial discounts on most travel services. Their number is +44 (0)1306 876876
How old is the house?
There were originally seven houses which comprised Le-Portail. Only three remain. Portico was one of them. We think it was built around 1750. It was bought as a derelict farmhouse in the early nineties, and was fully renovated and converted by 1995. It is totally secluded from the other houses and being the last of them, there is no passing traffic at all except occasional farm vehicles, horses and ramblers.
Who owns it and is it solely for letting?
It's owned and run by two English families based in Twickenham, England. The house is used on a regular basis by them, as well as being let at various times throughout the year. One of the families comprises an architect, Keith, who redesigned the house, and his wife Carole, an artist. They have two children: Jed is a sports photographer and Amy is a travel consultant. The other family is made up of David, an actor/writer, and Julia, who is a human resources manager. They have two sons: Matthew is a record producer and Ben works in the film industry.
How long have you been letting it ?
The house has been let, mainly during the summer period, since 1995. The first visitors encountered the house in its most basic state when everything was up and running but the garden wasn't really established and the house was still new and had its fair share of teething problems. The house and garden now looks and feels like home. And clearly that is what many of our visitors feel as many have been back on more than one occasion, some every year since 1995.
When do lettings begin and end?
Weekly lettings begin on a Saturday at 4 pm and finish the following Saturday at 10 am.
Is the house suitable for young children?
The house is not recommended for toddlers - and perhaps this means children of six and under. The house and garden are fine for children who are not toddlers and have an awareness of danger as well as a spirit of adventure! There is no risk of being run over as the nearest busy road is two miles away. But the garden melts straight into the local landscape and when crops are full, an unsupervised infant could wander into a field of sunflowers and be hidden from view. The terrace in front of the house, although well provided with cushioning plants, is three feet above the garden and could provide a hazard for a crawling child. Of course with supervision there should be no danger at all. Otherwise the house is very user friendly.
Is the house suitable for old people, or those with disabilities?
The house is on a gentle slope so it is possible not to encounter steps at all if journeys are made outside the house. Within, on the ground floor, the main living area and kitchen is on one level with a couple of steps leading up to a further sitting room and the staircase to the upper floor where the bedrooms are. The stairs are not especially steep and there is a handrail. There is a sofa-bed in the main sitting-room so it would be possible for a disabled person not to go upstairs at all as there is a shower and loo on this floor, although there are two steps up to the loo.
What about cleaning?
The house is well looked after by Madame Chagnaud who lives across the valley and supervises the changeover of visitors at weekends. The house will be inspected and cleaned before your arrival but you are expected to leave the house as you would wish to find it. Some guests - very few - have left the house in a state that would take considerably more than a day to clean up!
Is linen provided?
As a general rule bed linen and towels are not provided, but there are plenty of duvets and blankets for all the rooms. Occasionally visitors arriving by air from overseas are provided with linen but there is a charge for this.
Is there parking space?
No problem. You can park pretty well where you like although there is a dedicated parking space.
What about insects and pests?
As in any other part of France mosquitoes are found in the height of summer and you would be advised to bring electrical repellers for use at night although there are plenty already in the house and the refills are widely available. In September/October harvest-mites are are a problem and when out walking you would be well advised not to wear shorts. We ourselves had to learn the hard way!
There are many practical working details of the house which we could list here but they would only be of interest to those booking a holiday. If you do decide to visit Portico we will of course forward these on confirmation of your booking.
Julia David Keith Carole
Once again, thank you for your interest.