Exceptional Riverside Location,Holiday Apartment, Private Island. Moulin de la Ronde, Bonnes, Vienne Reviews

We've returned many times to the Poitou-Charentes/Loire region and the Moulin is an absolute gem. Having the river literally in your front garden was pure bliss, and the beautiful island, mill pond and stunning views were magnificent. Brian and Gill were perfect hosts, and we sincerely thank you for sharing your Grainstore with us. The location was perfect for us, with the stunning old medieval town of Chauvigny just a few miles away, Poitiers and Montmorillon a short drive and for longer trips out, Loches, Chinon and Amboise. We very much hope to return!

Having been keen independent travellers for many years (from Australia), we have been fortunate to stay in many delightful places, however we agree that Moulin de la Ronde took first prize. It is a timeless and magical place and Gill and Brian are the most charming hosts. Our communications with them were very helpful from when we made our booking, then when we arrived the four of us had an excellent consultation over a large map about places we might like to visit. As we followed their advice we found that it was spot on. In the pretty town of Chauvigny we especially loved the old city on the hill and the market. Food shopping at the Super U and the bakery across the road was excellent. Bonnes, with its riverside setting and little church and mairie, is a lovely village. We enjoyed walking there several times and the bread and other products from the bakery were excellent. Our weekend visit to Chateau de Touffou was interesting and the garden exceptional. One of us saw otters in the river at the Moulin, however we were both able to watch a pair of otters swim and play from a bird hide at Reserve Ornithologique de Saint Cyr 20 km away. We loved the Abbey Church at Saint Savin sur Gartempe with its 11th and 12th century murals and our walk amongst the spring wildflowers in La Brenne National Park. In our two week stay, as well as exploring the area by car and on foot, we were fortunate to have plenty of time to spend sitting and relaxing - on the riverbank, on the island, in the courtyard and at our window - watching the river and the busy birdlife. One highlight was watching the grey heron fishing early one morning. Brian told us that the river islands are an official LPO sanctuary and there is a brochure in The Old Grainstore information folder listing 40 bird species that have been observed there. A great tit was a frequent visitor coming and going feeding its offspring in a cavity in the stone wall of the courtyard. We enjoyed several walks in the nearby forests. One good walk went off the Chauvigny road to the right not far past the back gate. Another took us from the Chateau de Touffou parking area along the river, through the forest and then returned along the road past farmhouses and wheatfields. Last but not least, The Old Grainstore apartment itself was attractive, comfortable, spacious and filled with beautiful and interesting items from Gill’s and Brian’s period working in Asia. We felt very happy and at home there.

The photos of this accommodation look lovely however the experience of staying here is amazing! It's such a beautiful spot. Great for relaxing, walking, wildlife. The local area is well worth exploring and we spent a day walking into the village for bread and wandering along the river but we soon wanted to get back to relaxing in the meadow by the river or on the island. Brian and Gill were very obliging hosts, nothing was too much trouble. Thank you for letting us share your beautiful home. The gite is very spacious and furnished to a really high standard with pieces from Brian and Gills travels. A very special place.

The Old Grainstore at le Moulin de la Ronde is wonderfully spacious and beautifully furnished. The outside space is lovely with many different areas to sit and enjoy the river including an island accessed through the old mill. The owners are so helpful and knowledgeable and provide lots of information in the property to help you get the best from your stay. The surrounding area offers a tremendous amount - medieval villages, beautiful gardens, history, art and culture - so much to recommend.

We received a very warm welcome from GIll and Brian who made up us feel at home. The location by the river is stunning and couldn't be better if you love wildlife. Very easy access into Chauvigny which is just a few miles away and has everything you need in terms of facilities including good eating places. We visited right at the beginning of April and the property felt a bit chilly so we needed the heating on but it warmed up as the week progressed and I am sure in the summer it is absolutely perfect

We had the pleasure to stay at this beautiful little hidden gem in August 2014. Brian and Gill were so helpful with arrangement plans. They greeted us upon arrival with happy smiles, it was nearly midnight when we arrived after a very long car journey in torrential rain. There was soup, a wonderful salad platter, wine and beer for us which were very gratefully appreciated. We awoke after a wonderful sleep in the most amazingly huge bed to the sun shining on the river. The gite was roomy and beautifully furnished, and had everything we needed. We fished off 'the pier' and Colin caught a pike and two large catfish, whilst I caught an abundance of roach, after Brian kindly set us up with his fishing rods. The wildlife around the river is lovely to see, whilst just chilling in one of the many places to sit, unfortunately we didn't get to see the otters at play. We cannot recommend any places to eat out as we chose to cook and eat at La Ronde, it was so tranquil, and there are plenty of different areas to eat Al Fresco. There are a couple of supermarkets to 'stock up' but we would say it would be highly recommended to hire a car, this also gives the option to see some of the beautiful villages in the area, if you can tear yourselves away from this picturesque paradise. Swimming in the river was wonderful, we also had plenty of fun, trying to kayak up the river.. There are also a choice of bikes to take down to the local village of Bonnes, where there is a village shop, quaint cafe and an outdoor swimming pool, (if you do go there, men need proper swimming trunks, they do not allow just swimming shorts). The Island is very pretty, with the willow tree trailing over the river, and has very fond memories for us as we got engaged on the Island, under a starlit sky, one evening. This was our first trip to France and after such a lovely time, it will definitely not be our last. It was so nice to meet such a lovely couple Brian and Gill, their wealth of knowledge of the area and surroundings and generally getting to know them. Thank you Brian and Gill for such an amazing time, we hope to see you again in the future.

We had a perfect week at Moulin La Ronde. I don't think we've stayed in a more beautiful spot, in fact it was hard to tear ourselves away to explore the surrounding areas. However, it's worth it ... the nearby town of Chauvigny is a gem and further afield we enjoyed the wildlife reserves at La Brenne (and the food at the lakeside restaurant of La Gabriere) and we had a beautiful few hours drifting down the Vienne in a canoe with our dog Daisy. Back at La Ronde the room is extremely comfortable and beautifully decorated. The kitchen is slightly basic, but hey, who goes on holiday to cook? Best of all is the island, where we spent happy hours sunbathing, bird (and otter) watching, and I swam in the mill pool, where the power of the mill race made an effective water exercise machine! While we found a slight lack of privacy in "our" courtyard area, Brian and Gill are so lovely, interesting and such a font of local knowledge, we got over ourselves. And besides, we could always hide away on our own little island paradise ...

My husband and I had a fantastic holiday at the Old Grain Store. The accomodation is lovely - really spacious and the surrounding grounds are just idyllic. Over the fortnight we stayed I think we tried out every deckchair... Each one with its own lovely view of the river! Brian and Gill made us feel really welcome, and gave us some great tips for places to visit and eat out. We were really well situated to visit some great places, when we could tear ourselves away from the lovely surroundings of the gite! The Old Grain Store is a great choice for a really relaxing break.

This was our third trip to To the wonderful Moulin de la Ronde, and yet again we had a fantastic holiday. The setting is so picturesque and peaceful, and the location ideal for exploring beautiful local villages by car, foot or bicycle. The apartment is stylishly presented and huge (2 adults and 2 kids and plenty of room to spare). Brian and Gill are such welcoming and friendly hosts, happy to help out in any way they can and will gorge extra mile to ensure you have a lovely holiday.

Fantastic and funky accommodation with everything you need, perfect for us and 2 children, spacious and in a tranquil setting that would be hard to beat. Very friendly and welcoming owners.