Holiday Cottage in Mortree, Orne, Normandy
Traditional Normandy Cottage
Ideal Country Retreat in France
Sleeps 6 (3 Bedrooms)
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An attractive, tastefully converted Normandy barn, located in a half-acre field, in a tranquil, unspoiled area of Orne, near to the medieval towns of Argentan and Sees. Access to the cottage is via a quiet track, usually only used by local farmers and horse riders. It offers a peaceful country hideaway, and is ideally situated to explore the local countryside by car, cycle or on foot, to read, fish or just to relax!
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Prices Currency Conversion
| Rental periods | |
| January - March | £275 |
| April - June | £375 |
| July / August | £475 |
| September / October | £375 |
| November / December | £275 |
| Christmas, New Year and Easter periods | £375 |
Notes on prices
Prices are for the property per week in UK pounds and includes cost of electricity. Short breaks can be arranged at specially negotiated prices, and discounts are available for long winter lets.
Changeover day
Normal changeover day is Saturday, but it is possible to be flexible out of high season. Short breaks can be arranged, and longer winter lets are also available.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1 has a large double bed, with an ensuite shower room with wash basin, plus heated towel rail. Bedroom 2 has a double bed. Bedroom 3 has twin beds. All with storage facilities. |
| Bathrooms: | Ensuite shower room to Bedroom 1 with washbasin, plus heated towel rail. First floor Bathroom with bath, overhead shower, washbasin and wc, plus heated towel rail. Separate wc on ground floor, with washbasin. |
| Kitchen: | Large, well equipped kitchen/diner with antique dresser, china, glass and cutlery for 8 people, ample cooking and preparation equipment. This includes an oven, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge/freezer, microwave, toaster, kettle, coffee maker. |
| Living Rooms: | Beautiful, cosy living room, with beamed ceiling, two large settees, open fireplace, side tables, radio/CD player - with radio 4 accessibility! Supplies of books, magazines and games, plus brochures on local attractions. Telephone and TV/video player. |
| Other: | The bedrooms are attractively and freshly decorated, with comfortable beds and tasteful linen. Two of them overlook the garden. Ample storage space is available for clothes. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
All bedlinen (except for the cot) is included with a spare set left for stays over one week. Towels, tablecloths and kitchen linen are included for house use. Linen will be washed and the house cleaned after departure. |
Notes on accommodation
The house is centrally heated, and there is an open fireplace in the living room. The house is comfortably furnished and tastefully decorated, in a mixture of French and English styles, with a winding stone staircase, natural stone walls and tiled floors.
It is child-friendly, with safety gates at the top of the stairs, a cot and high chair. Antique plates and china decorate the shelves and kitchen dresser, and the decoration is warm and welcoming. The dining area is equipped with a pine table and wicker chairs.
- hob/stove,
- oven,
- fridge/freezer,
- microwave,
- dishwasher,
- washing machine,
- iron/ironing board,
- tv,
- telephone,
- internet access,
- central heating,
- cot,
- high chair,
- barbecue,
- pets accepted
Accessibility
It is essential to have a car, as the house is quite remote and secluded. There is ample parking for several cars.
Outside
The garden area is basically a large field, regularly mown, circled by trees and bushes which provide plenty of blackberries in the summer. There is an airer in the garden, and an outside hose pipe. There is a covered garage area, plus ample parking space in the garden. Access to the cottage is via a terrace at the rear of the house, which in the summer has flowering clematis and lavender bushes, plus pots of flowers. The terrace is equipped with a table and six chairs, plus parasol, and a BBQ. Garden games are available.
Coast/Beach
The cottage is approximately 1 hour by car from Ouistreham/Caen and its beaches, plus the museums and monuments to the Normandy landings. Miles of beautiful hard sand and calm seas make it ideal for children, the beach is supervised by lifeguards, and there are many entertainments, including crazy golf, horseriding, windsailing, cafes etc.
Travel
Paris can be reached in 2 hours by train from Argentan, or the same by car. The nearest channel port is Ouistreham - 1 hour from the cottage (a 6-hour crossing from Portsmouth), alternatively there is Cherbourg, Le Havre (about 2.5 hours), or Calais/Boulogne (3.5 hrs.), all of which are shorter crossings. Road access is easy with the N.158, and newly developed motorways (A28 & A88) can be accessed about 10 kilometres away.
Distances
The nearest town is Mortree, about 8 kilometres away, which has small shops including tabac, boulangeries, butcher, small supermarket, church etc. The larger towns of Argentan and Sees offer a wide range of shops, supermarkets, cafes etc. plus impressive monuments and churches. Thriving markets are held each week in both of these larger towns, and Mortree has a small Sunday morning market, all offering a wide range of local produce including cheese, honey, vegetables, meats, fish etc.
Further details
Around the area, there are countless magnificant chateaux, including Sassy (3 kilometres) which has the largest private library in France, turreted Carrouges which frequently hosts music and food festivals, Medavy - the list can go on.... Antique shops and "brocantes" abound if you like to browse for bargains.
There are many and varied restaurants in the area, from simple cafes and bars, to more gastronomic spots.
Horse breeding is one of the most popular occupations in this region, and horse riding is available locally at very reasonable prices, for beginners to experienced riders. Horse trotting is a local popular sport, with hippodromes in the nearby town of Argentan, and the National stud of Haras du Pin is only 15 kilometres away, with a magnificant horse museum and breeding facility. There is a swimming pool in Argentan, plus boating lake in the nearby spa town of Bagnoles de l'Orne which also has a nine hole golf course. There are tennis facilities in nearby Sees, and a leisure lake (plan d'eau) at Ferte Mace (c.20 kilometres). This is also good cycling country, and bikes can be hired from Argentan station. Visits to the famous cheese-making areas of Camembert, Liverot, Pont L'Eveque are popular, and local produce includes cider and calvados - anything to do with apples!
Helpful Tourist Board offices are available in Sees and Argentan.
There are banks and cash machines in all the nearby towns.
Booking notes
Prices are given in £ sterling. Special prices can be negotiated for long winter lets and special breaks.
20% deposit, balance due 8 weeks prior to holiday.
For booking and further information
Helen & John Stiven
Tel: (UK) + 44 (0)1932 346832
Fax: (UK) + 44 (0) 1932 345011
Mobile: (UK) + 44 (0) 7919 556995
Email: Click here
Owners Website: Click here
International Dialling Access Codes:
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This advertiser joined Owners Direct in January 2007,
and has advertised this property with us since January 2007.
Property Ref FR1854
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