Poitiers airport is 40 minutes drive south of Irais with direct flights from Stansted and Birmingham (www.ryanair.com).

The nearest TGV line to Paris (and thence to London) is from Poitiers – the journey is two hours. It's a lovely journey from Waterloo.

If you take a ferry to St Malo (www.brittanyferries.com) the drive is three and half hours plus stops, Caen is four and a half, Calais is around five hours.

The busy provincial towns of Thoars, Loudun and Parthenay are 15 to 30 minutes drive.

The heart of the Loire Valley is 45 minutes drive north and the sea side is two hours to the west.