18th Century Cottage in heart of Loire Valley

House has a great patio area for BBQing, eating and relaxing. Defintely the best feature of the house. Plenty of space in the house. Furniture is a bit dated but then again it is restoration!. Village of Anché is fairly mundane and has no commercial shops but you are within driving distance of Chinon and tourist attractions. Owner very helpful.

This is a delightful cottage with a working kitchen and spacious bedrooms as well as tastefully restored and decorated living accommodation. The garden is a beautiful spot and we ate most of our meals on the terrace and barbequed on the big and efficient Kettle Braai regularly.

There are lovely walks through wild flower meadows and the village and five kilometres away is Chinon as well as eighty chateaus to visit in the Loire valley. We did not manage them all but the town of Richelieu and Chateau L'Islet were particular favourites.

David the landlord became a good friend and he and my wife shared a birthday party in the garden where we made friends with neighbours and other expats who have made their home in this beautiful peaceful part of France.

We had four G internet and satellite television enabled us to keep up with Poldark and the dreadful daily saga of British and American politics.

The house and garden are lovely - especially the covered seating area outside. There is the bonus of satellite TV so we managed to get some olympics viewing in!

Anche is a perfect place to stay. It is very quiet and out of the way but close enough to Chinon that you get the best of both worlds. Close to kayak and bike hire which was great and lots of river swimming/great local swimming pool in Chinon available. Supermarkets are a short drive away. Loads of chateaux to visit.

The weather and scenery (fields upon fields packed with sunflowers!) were fantastic and we soaked up the warmth and enjoyed our frequent picnic lunches of baguettes, cheese and made the most of the many local wines with dinner.

David, the owner, is lovely and very helpful with lots of information. He lives next door to the property so is around for advice and help but only when needed and we felt he was the perfect host.

This was our first visit to the Loire Valley, but it definitely won't be our last!

My cousin and I stayed at the Well House for 7 nights. We both wish we could have stayed longer. The location of the house is ideal for discovering all the area has to offer. We enjoyed staying in the small village, the quiet and of course the wonderful terrace. The photos of the house and terrace do not do it justice. The house has been thoughtfully and lovingly restored. The kitchen is large and well equipped including a upscale new coffee maker and toaster. He's even thought to stock handy little things such as a cheese grater and scissors. The wonderful terrace opens off the kitchen. David even stocks candles to provide additional evening ambiance. We had been looking forward to catching up on the news with the English language TV channels, but we couldn't tear ourselves away from the glorious terrace.

The bathroom is large with lots of hot water. We really liked the washing machine. Finally, a French washer I could logically operate! While there is no dryer, there are several drying lines and lots of clothes pins (pegs) along the terrace. Clothes were dry in no time at all.

The two ample sized bedrooms accommodated us comfortably with plenty of hanging and drawer storage and lots of hangers. We both really appreciated the large bedside light fixtures so we could actually read in bed at night. Our only challenge as two older ladies, was navigating the stairs at night. But, we managed.

David, the owner, was there during our visit and could not have been a more hospitable host. He truly wants his guests to enjoy their stay. He has provided a great assortment of information on the area and is most willing to make additional suggestions. While he lives next door, he is available but not at all intrusive.

Without hesitation, I would book the Well House again.

The cottage is full of character in a quiet and peaceful setting and yet close to many places of interest. The best feature is the very spacious terrace, which has a generous covered area alongside an open south facing area. The pictures do not do justice to this excellent feature. The spacious and light kitchen opens onto the terrace which makes it ideal for outside eating, both morning and evening. The garden has matured considerably since the photos were taken.

The owner was in residence in the main house and was very friendly and helpful with any requests. The property was clean and tidy with a well provisioned kitchen. The water heater gave a strong over-bath shower. David had recently sorted out a wifi connection available from the main bedroom window. Our dog was also welcomed, with the garden above the terrace being sufficiently enclosed by fencing. The property description is representative but we would question the practicalities of more than four people staying with only the one bathroom with toilet. The mezzanine is attractive and good for additional storage but not for sleeping. The master bedroom had a comfortable bed. The beds in the second bedroom were rather soft and springy (two friends joined us for a few days).

There are many attractions in the area with the small and historic Chinon nearby. The nearest boulangerie is a five minute drive but well worth a daily early morning visit! This was our first visit to the Loire and we will definitely return again to this area. Apart from Chinon, we were really impressed by the gardens at Villandry. Excellent lunch at Le Puits Dore in the main square in nearby Richelieu but avoid the the mushrooms at Montsoreau!

In conclusion, we very much enjoyed our stay at the Well House. Many thanks for your hospitality, David.