Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

A gently bucolic scene greets you at this delicious little half-timbered farmhouse in its hamlet, where gorgeous views float over pastures to distant horizons. Step in to find stylish recycling and an all-too-rare shabby-chic charm, a spacious open plan sitting/dining room with a stone fireplace and proud antique wood-frame armchairs, and a perfect minimalist kitchen. Look forward to exquisitely rustic bedrooms, one down, two up, with swathes of damask and old doors as bed heads, and swanky bathrooms that seduce you with pebble flooring and ancient stone. Wake to birdsong. There's space enough for eight to get lost in, in a delightful garden with a gravel terrace, wooden furniture, dreamy views and lots of lawn; children can share secrets in the sheltered play area. It's a great area for walks, cycling, riding, the market at Nogent-le-Rotrou, restaurants a mile away; the owners, creative, charming, live nearby. Entertain yourselves in an endearing home cinema on the landing, lined with crimson carpeting and scattered with cushions. And if you fancy a blast of city life, hop on the train to Paris!