Our Guests said ...

La Petite Gravelle is a tranquil haven deep in the Charantaise countryside yet within easy reach of many historic towns and magnificent beaches.

Our visitors have ranged from those who managed to visit a different place each day (sometimes two) to those who were content to spend their days topping up their tans in the sun-trap courtyard or on the 2000sq m grassy area with its various tables and chairs and sunloungers.
All fell in love with the quiet charm of the Gite and the hamlet.

Our visitors have had this to say in the Guest Book:

We have approximately 50/50 English and French guests and our French guests' comments echo those below.

As 'Charlie' appears often in the comments we should point out that he is our extremely friendly, 17-year-old ginger cat!
Don't worry if you don't particularly like cats - just shoo him way on day one and he will sulk and leave you alone!

Our second visit here, and everything was just perfect again. Thanks for everything Mike and Maria, lots of happy memories to take home. See you again

C&L, Whitstable. October 2011.

We've had marvellous week of relaxation here, thank you for your kindness ... It has been a wonderful time to visit rural France and we have tested the produce of the locality - purchased in the market, from you own garden and even picked from the verges! Our two excursions were to Rochefort and Fouras and to Melle. We loved then both but Melle held a real magic for us with its

amazing arboretum planted along the old railway line.
P&C, Llanelli. August/September 2011

A big thank-you for your welcome during my stay. It is a a marvellous place for those looking for quiet, at the same time isolated but very close to some marvellous towns.

E, Northern France. all of July 2011

Thank you for a wonderful week, we have found a little bit of heaven. The gite is so comfortable and relaxing with every convenience one could wish for. Your hospitality was wonderful and the eggs and chocolates were the icing on the cake. Hope to visit again soon.

C&R, Billericay. June 2011

We would like to thank you for wonderful time. In your house is so quiet and relaxing and gave us power to do more.... thank you for your help and smile.

M&D, Poland. March 2011

What a great time, thank you very much Maria and Mike you are wonderful hosts..

L&M, Connecticut USA. December 2010/January 2011

A warm welcome for our arrival with the Christmas tree lit up, the log-burner alight and fresh eggs on the table. We will return with pleasure in good weather to appreciate this countryside in another season. We leave well rested and with a warm heart for all the kindness of Mike and Maria. Ne changez pas!

A&M, France. December 2010

This was our first visit to this part of France and it will certainly not be the last. Thanks Mike and Maria for making us so welcome and providing such excellent facilities. The cottage is just delightful and so lovely to come home to after cycling or walking around the lanes. The log burner was fantastic for those chilly evenings. The fresh eggs and veg were really appreciated. It was lovely just to see the animals wandering around - and Charlie could sense when the barbeque was going to be lit! Once again thank you for all your kindness and see you again in the not too distant future.

C&L, Whitstable. Late October 2010

We had a lovely time here and many thanks for your kind hospitality. We hope to visit again in May. P&D, Kent. September 2010

Thank you for such a wonderful stay... the Gite is so pretty (I particularly liked the Laura Ashley mugs!) with everything you could need in it. We visited some stunning places, in particular the Ile de Ré with its beautiful beaches. We also enjoyed Cognac with its free tasting session and a slightly tipsy walk around the town and river. La Rochelle was also beautiful... St Jean d'Angely is lovely too, lots of little shops and people taking part in the baguette-baton race! All the best to you both, Charlie, the dogs, the ducks and chickens. We had a lovely holiday - thank you.
H&J, Wales. August/September 2010

The Gite is charming and comfortable, perfect for the peace and quiet we needed to unwind after a stressful year at work. Charente Maritime is a beautiful area with lots of charming villages to explore. We enjoyed the walks and cycling routes and it is worth visiting the main cities of the area - Saintes, Cognac, Royan, La Rochelle and Rochfort for the history, architecture and leisurely lunches! The highlight of the holiday was cycling the bridge to Ile de Ré ... I will have 'sore bits' to remind me for days to come. The island is beautiful and worth visiting by car, foot or bicycle.
We are leaving La Petite Gravelle with a relaxed smile and a warm heart full of memories and ready to face the next school year. Thank you Mike and Maria for your warm welcome, the bikes, the produce but most of all for the inner peace. A&J, Nottinghamshire. July-August 2010

A most enjoyable stay, all so friendly and will always remember Charlie. Thank you for being so welcoming - no hesitation in recomending you to others. Best wishes

K&F, Guernsey. July 2010

Mike and Maria provided us with an impeccable, faultless accommodation after a long, hot ride from the Pyrenees (by motorcycle, one of our interests too - M&M). But there is more - their welcome was friendly and warm and immediately I felt at home and knew it would be very difficult to leave here. This is a dream come true...
Maria, Mike, extended family, both animal and human, thank you so much for the stories, the laughter, the friendship you spread about. I so hope we will have the opportunity to continue what has been started.
We've had a great stay, we just wish it could have been longer... we both look forward to seeing you again soon in the not too distant future. Fond regards and grateful thanks.

S&W, Reading. June 2010

Thank you for the peace and rest here. The work and love you have put into La Petite Gravelle makes it a home for all who come - a true sanctuary and blessing.
Although the weather was not the best we did all the things we wanted to, visiting many places from La Rochelle to Angouleme, enjoying enormously the fine china at the museum in La Rochelle and unexpectedly a wonderful Japanese doll exhibition at the same place.

J&J, Jersey. Early May 2010

.It is a real pleasure to be able to write so enthusiastically about our stay at La Petite Gravelle… with many visits to France already behind us we had, like so many others these days, found ourselves disappointed with accommodation, location and poor service on too many occasions. Our holiday at La Petite Gravelle proved to be a wonderful experience… every day was all we wanted it to be, it was everything we had hoped for and more.
… Mike and Maria could not have given us more or cared more to ensure that we had the perfect holiday. The location and accommodation were everything we had hoped for and it was a real treat to be introduced to the other 'residents' – the ducks, chickens and, of course, the dogs and puppies. What an idyllic life! We were so jealous.

J&D, Bristol. September 2009

Thank you for a warm welcome and lovely stay. We have really enjoyed our relaxing break and will certainly miss the peace and quiet.The Gite was perfect and we loved every minute of it…
The perfect location for sightseeing by car. No more than a hour to La Rochelle, Rochefort half an hour and Saintes also half an hour – with a range of shops and back streets where you can spend the whole day. A trip to Melle for the silver mine and herb garden make a nice change.

D&K, Southsea. August 2009

We came to La Petite Gravelle on our honeymoon hoping for an idyllic hideaway in which to have a gorgeous week away from it all. That is exactly what we found.The cottage is peaceful, beautiful and homely.
We very much enjoyed our trips to Saintes and St Jean d’Angely, our bike ride to Varaize and sunbathing in the courtyard with Charlie the cat, and the highlight of our trips - the Ile de Re.
Many thanks for your wonderful hospitality and the fresh vegetables, we can’t recommend your Gite highly enough. J&A, London. July 2009

Thanks for such a warm welcome and a glorious week in your little bit of French heaven. The Gite is perfect for a quiet getaway and we will certainly be back… a big ‘Thank you’ to ‘the girls’ (our chickens! – M&M) for their wonderful eggs! R&H, Ashford. July 2009

We arrived at La Petite Gravelle on a hot Friday night after a long journey from the UK with a trailer (they were collecting a Citroen 2CV – M&M). Mike and Maria gave us the warmest welcome and showed us the dream gite with all the comforts you could possible want…
It’s so tranquil and friendly here… Mike and Maria have created an idyllic retreat. We love the villages and towns of the Charente and look forward to returning soon.
We came for a little French van and leave with fond memories of long chats into the balmy night and of new friendships. We know everyone who visits will fall in love with this place as we have.

E&A, Chorleywood. June 2009

All of these comments, and those by our French guests, can be seen in our Visitors' Book