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| Property List | Self Catering Holiday Farmhouse Lovely family-friendly farmhouse
with sunny rooms, level enclosed garden, bluebell
wood & pretty stream, sleeps 8 + 1, near Lake Dathee,
St. Sever forest, and Vire, in Calvados, Normandy |
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About
our farmhouse (sleeps 8 + 1) La Martinière is a beautiful detached 'fermette' (small farm house) set in 10 acres of gardens, meadows and woodland, bordered by a stream, in a tranquil hamlet just a few minutes south of the bustling town of Vire and close to Lake Dathée and the St. Sever forest. At just over an hour from the ferry port at Caen, and 1.5 hours from Cherbourg, La Martinière is very easy to reach and makes an ideal location to explore all that Normandy has to offer with most attractions with an hour's drive. Accommodation The south-facing farm house is airy, light, comfortable and well-equipped. It has a large kitchen / dining room with a stainless steel range cooker with 5 burners and huge oven, double sink and prep area looking out onto the dining room. A doorway leads through to a spacious rear kitchen / utility room with large fridge with freezer compartment, automatic washing machine and iron for your convenience. There is also a second sink and cloakroom with toilet. On the ground floor there is also a very large, comfortable salon. On the first floor there are three double bedrooms (the master bedroom has a king size bed) and one twin bedroom, all with lovely wooden floors and views. A cot is available on request.
There is a bathroom (with shower) and separate WC upstairs. The house has full oil fired central heating and double glazing for all year comfort. With four double / twin bedrooms, plus a cot or child's camp-bed La Martinière is spacious enough for several families or couples to share for a comfortable and relaxing family or group holiday. Outside The house is set off a quiet lane, several hundred yards down a private drive leading to just two other properties. It has an enclosed and level, lawned garden adjacent to the house, ideal as a play area for children. The rest of the grounds extend to 10 acres, including 'La Rocher' (the rock), our very own small hill, topped with huge granite boulders and offering stunning views across the valley to 'La Lande Vaumont'. Two beech woodlands on the hillside are filled with bluebells in spring and make a perfect, shady area for picnics. Another lovely feature is 'Pre de la fontaine' (the meadow of the spring/fountain), a haven for butterflies this small field has a natural spring and is edged with a meandering stream. There are plenty of quiet, secluded and shady spots to sit and read a book and enjoy the birdsong and catch a glimpse of the local wildlife including our resident owl. You may also be lucky to see the deer who regularly visit our woodland Prices and booking information La Martinière is available for weekend, weekly holidays and longer-term rentals. Please contact us with your requirements. Prices per week, depending on number of people staying
Discounts for consecutive weeks - please
enquire for details La Martinière is situated at 'St-Germaine-de-Tallevende-La-Lande-Vaumont' (a very big name for a relatively small place) just a few miles south of Vire, which is the capital of the 'Bocage Virois' region of Calvados in Normandy, close to the border with the region of Manche. The 'bocage' landscape refers to the characteristic fields and hedge banks of the area, with rolling hills, occasional gorges, lakes and forests, and quiet country lanes lined with hazelnuts and blackberries. The area is totally unspoilt and free from crowds and gaudy attractions. You will find beautiful countryside and extensive walks on the doorstep, including a disused railway line, accessible for cycling and walking, nearby, which extends northwest close to Lake Dathée and south to Mortain and the national park. We can recommend horse-riding nearby and provide help with cycling and walking routes. The immediate surroundings will provide most British visitors with a poignant memory of a beautiful and disappearing England, perhaps a chance to relive those memories and for some, to share it with their own children. The air is fresh, and the pace of life is restful and with temperatures usually a little warmer than Britain it makes for a longer summer and milder spring, autumn and winter. The house is in a very peaceful area, just over 2 miles from the village so it's not far to get your fresh bread and pastries! There is a wonderful farm, very close by, with its own farm shop and a recommended auberge at St-Germaine-de-Tallevende, along with a village bar and pharmacy. Nearby at Roullours / Maisoncelles-la-Jourdan are the "Pont-es-Retour" waterfalls, classed as an "Area of Natural Ecological Interest, Flora and Fauna" in 1988. Here, the River Vire falls over an area characterised by a disorder of granite in which fauna develops in excellent conditions. La Martinière is also a stone's throw from the Dolmen at Mont-Savarin (Mount Savarin), a table-shaped megalith made from Vire granite. Within the Bocage, megalithic monuments were surrounded by myth and suspicion: supernatural visions, ghost-stories, sorcery ... The location is quite central to both the Calvados and Manche coastlines, it's a very easy distance from the ferry ports and superb for exploring much of Normandy, with lots to do nearby. Families are well served by a huge water park at Vire with indoor and outdoor slides as well as a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. Saint Sever's Crown Forest contains mostly beech and oaks, together with comb-shaped firs and the Douglas pines. It has an arboretum and wildlife park (stags, does, fawns in 4ha). The peaceful Lake Le Gast nature reserve (below) is not far and is a firm favourite. Lake Dathée, just outside Vire, offers wonderful lakeside walks, boating, sailing, windsurfing and a modestly priced golf course.
A day trip to the D-Day landing beaches is something to remember forever, and the house is also within easy day-trip distance of the Mont St Michel. The glamorous beach resort of Granville is well worth a visit, where there is also a regular ferry service to Jersey. La Martinière is close to the bustling town of Vire, which offers something for everyone. It has a superb modern theatre, cinema, stylish cafés, nightlife, and some lovely shops, satisfying your need for culture and/or retail therapy! Vire is also something of a mecca for food-lovers with a weekly gourmet food market on Fridays which is a pilgrimage for foodies, with local fish, seafood, cheese, cream, charcuterie, bread, fruit and vegetables and the most wonderful stall with olives and spices. Vire has an impressive number of fêtes and festivals culminating in several weeks of street theatre and concerts during the summer months. Not far away is the traditional market town of Villedieu-les-Poêlles (meaning City of God's Frying Pans), with its medieval alleys and ancient courtyards. Renowned for copper pans, and bursting with character and history, it has an enormous weekly market on Tuesdays where you can buy almost anything Local markets Monday - Torigni-sur-Vire, Tinchebray Tuesday - Ducey, Hambye, Caen, Sourdeval, Alencon Wednesday - Conde-sure-Vire, Tessy-sur-Vire, Lisieux Thursday - Beny-Bocage, Conde-sure-Noireau, Alencon Friday - Vire, Brecey, Falaise, Domfront Saturday - St. Lo, Avranches, Bayeux, Domfront, Lisieux Sunday - Barenton By Air The nearest airport to the property is Dinard Pleurtuit which is located just east of St Malo and flights into Dinard are operated by Ryanair from London Stansted and East Midlands. 1.5 hours drive maximum from Dinard airport. Cars can be hired from the airport and it takes approximately 2 hours to drive from Dinard to the property. Alternatively, EasyJet operate flights into Paris from London Luton which is approximately 2.5 hours away Ferries The nearest ferry port is Caen Ouistreham - about an hours drive from the property. Brittany Ferries operate from Portsmouth into Caen. There are also ferries into Le Havre from Portsmouth which is about 1.5 hours drive and also to Cherbourg about 1 - 1.5 hours drive away. For further details please see www.cottagebandb.co.uk/lamartiniere.html To book, please contact the owners :
When booking this property please mention Relax in France |
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