Our B&B
An historic property
The history of our property can be traced back to the 13th century. At that time it was home to two families; the Buhaurs and the Bihaur. Both names find their origin in an old French word (Bohort) that designates a spear that was used in jousting tournaments. Later the name of the family became Bauhours meaning “he who carry the jousts to the tournaments”. Over the years the spelling changed; Bauhourdrie, Biourdrie,…..Bihourderie.
The architecture of La Bihourderie is typical of the Touraine region of France. The stone buildings form a U-shape around an inner courtyard. The main house is 40 meters long with a steep roof.
Once upon a time…
Francis and I first visited La Bihourderie in 2003. We fell for the charm of the building, it’s history and it’s rural, peaceful setting. We felt it was ideally located; central to all the famous chateaux of the Loire valley, close to the medieval town of Loches yet far enough away to ensure no noise disturbance.
…began an ambitious project.
When we bought the house in 2003 we were able to move in without having to do any major work. However three years later we decided to entirely remodel the house. We knocked down partitions, exposed the original stone walls, re-dimensioned the rooms, added windows and converted the attic. After several months of intensive work the result was 5 spacious guests rooms each with a private shower room, a large common room for guests to share with kitchen facilities and over 200m2 of extra living space.
Then came the best part…decorating and furnishing.
The decor of each guest room is inspired by one of Van Gogh‘s paintings. We are surrounded by fields of sunflowers and wheat so the house leant itself naturally to the artist’s favorite themes. We spent several hours choosing the colour schemes and hunting down furniture, fabrics and other decorative items to give each room a distinct identity whilst paying attention to keeping a common palette of colors throughout the house to harmonise the overall feel and decor.
The result? Our home…
We take great pleasure in opening up our home to offer you hospitality, whether that be for just an evening or for several days, to rest or to discover the many treasures of our region. We have tried our best to make it as pleasant and as comfortable as possible and to give it a “home from home” feel.
…with the courtyard & garden.
The buildings surround a large courtyard offering a safe area for children to play.
The garden surrounds the property and offers stunning views of the countryside.
We have a separate terrasse for our guests with ample seating in order to relax and/or eat outside. In the summer months you can watch the sky light up as the sun sets on the horizon beyond the fields.
We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Naomi & Francis
