La Semnadisse

La Semnadisse is a campsite on a farm, at the end of the hamlet of the same name, in the commune of Parsac, in the Creuse. The site covers 4.5 hectares of open meadows, old oak trees, woodland and a stream, and has only 30 places: 19 pitches for tents and caravans, all with electric hook-up, and 11 mobile homes. The pitches are over 400 m², with a neighbour 20 to 100 m away.

The atmosphere is deliberately simple and old-fashioned: no planned entertainment programme, evenings around the fire and a fenced site where children roam freely. The owner recommends spring and autumn for those seeking quiet, and summer for families. The mobile homes, furnished in a vintage spirit, have neither running water nor private washrooms.

The website announces that the campsite is open all year round, without giving dates or a closure period: the exact calendar should be confirmed with the owner, as bookings are made by email only. For the cold season, a small farmhouse 100 m from the campsite has central heating and a wood stove, with two bedrooms, a full kitchen and a large garden. The website says the best period runs from May to September.

Helping look after the farm animals all year round by appointment; harvests and apple juice making in late summer.

The campsite remains rustic and functional. Two sanitary blocks offer toilets, washbasins and hot and cold showers, plus two outdoor showers for washing under the stars. A washing machine is available for a fee, as well as a tumble dryer, outside high season only. Three fridges are provided free of charge near the upper washroom block, and water points are spread around the meadows.

The café in a barn can seat 100 people. It serves alcoholic and soft drinks, ice cream and homemade jams, and coffee or tea in the morning. In high season, you can order bread and croissants for the next day. In July and August, wood-fired pizzas are made on Friday evenings with a local association. Fire pits and two barbecue areas are available to campers.

As for swimming, the campsite has no pool: a natural swimming lake, fed by an underground water table in the middle of the woods, can be used on request thanks to a partnership with the association Le Petit Paradis. The lower washroom block and the café are wheelchair accessible, and an electric quad bike can help people reach the stream. High chairs and portable baby cots are lent on request in the mobile homes.

La Semnadisse does not offer scheduled entertainment: shared activities arise on the spot, and you can write your game ideas on the whiteboard in the café. Children have several play areas with swings and seesaws, a shed full of toys, a stream with a small waterfall for building dams, and fenced meadows for running around or playing hide-and-seek.

In the shed next to the café there is a table football, darts, a library and a table tennis table beside it. Evenings are happily spent around the fire, with bread toasted on a stick, music and sometimes impromptu parties or craft workshops.

The farm is a real working farm: horses, sheep, hens, ducks, cats and a dog, including several animals taken in through an animal protection effort. In July and August, feeding rounds take place twice a week for a small donation, and you can help look after the animals all year round by appointment. Depending on the season, you can take part in spring planting, haymaking, late-summer harvests, and making apple juice and jams. Visitors on a tight budget can offer their help during their stay.