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

Stark against the skyline is a pearly grey, turreted, medieval castle, dominating the village as if plucked from a fairytale. And there, sheltering in the lee of its walls, is your farmhouse home. Its views stretch serenely over Usseau and down a long, soft valley – stunning. Wisely, the interior does not try to compete, it just has that rustic elegance of simple but attractive furniture set against polished parquet, dark-red, beautifully worn quarry tiles and exposed stone walls. There are two good-sized bedrooms in fresh colours – more views – and a cosy room under the eaves that peeps over the garden. The Bardins' paintings are everywhere and there's a butterfly stencil in the shining bathroom. The light-filled living room has doors to the garden – you may barbecue from the old bread oven – and a brand-new kitchen. This is easy living: close to the Loire, restaurants in Châtellerault, a pool shared with the castle's B&B guests. The Bardins are full of energy – creating a monastic garden, running art courses, intelligently filling you in about the area. Great hospitality.