Our Location
The local village La Ferriere-en-Parthenay is 2kms and has a bakers and cake shop, restaurant, cafe and wine shop. The village is situated on the main road linking Parthenay, our nearest town, with Poitiers the capital of Poitou Charente and the access point for Airport and the TGV Rail Service.

Parthenay is a large town full of historical monuments and modern facilities. It is situated on a rocky out crop surrounded by the River Thouet and during the middle ages was a major stopover for the 'pilgrims of Saint-Jacques' en-route to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Today, it is famed for its large beef cattle market which takes place every Wednesday.

The medieval quarter is worth a foray with the cobbled streets of rue la Vau-St-Jacques leading up to 13th-century ramparts and Pont and Porte St-Jacques, a narrow bridge which joins a drawbridge with tall, twin towers.

Inside the gates there is an attractive medieval centre with many half-timbered houses to be found along the narrow streets. The Rue de la Vau-Saint-Jacques has the best preserved examples.

The Parthenay castle was built in the 11th century with further reinforcements being added in the 13th and 15th century. The castle eventually consisted of nine towers and thick walls to encircle the living accommodation and stables. It's remains today act as reminder of how important the town was during the middle ages.

As Parthenay is full of culture and history let it surprise you with it's weekly street markets and regular festivals such as the lyrique opera of Sanxay on the Gallo Roman site, the music chamber at Lavausseau, plus many other festivals all throughout the Summer period.





This region also enjoys the second highest days of sunshine anywhere in France and is fabulous for bike riding and walks through it's beautiful lakes and unspoilt villages.