Traditional Normandy Colombage
Peaceful Location in a Beautiful Valley
Sleeps 12 (5 Bedrooms)
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‘Les Aubépines’ is a traditional Normandy Colombage, set in its own grounds on the edge of a tiny hamlet, near the forest of Eavy, overlooking the beautiful Varenne Valley. There is a safe enclosed front garden next to our sheep-field and apple orchard and to the rear of the house a further garden with breakfast patio and small vegetable plot. We also have a games room with table tennis, darts and basketball net. The area is ideal for bike rides and country walks, with the extensive forest of Eavy just up the footpath behind the house. There’s a children’s play area and free tennis court in the adjacent village, golf, horse-riding and fishing a few minutes away. You can arrange to canoe down the river or visit the nearby “Reve de bisons” on a buffalo safari. Sailing, go-karting and quad biking are also within easy reach, near Dieppe. The local villages all have weekly markets and excellent restaurants. Dieppe with its beach, busy market and superb fish restaurants, 25 mins.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 18 October 2011 - 31 March 2012 | £180 | 4 | ||
| 19 October 2011 - 31 March 2012 | £360 | 4 | ||
| 1 April 2012 - 30 April 2012 | £360 | 4 | ||
| 1 May 2012 - 30 June 2012 | £400 | 7 | ||
| 1 July 2012 - 31 July 2012 | £500 | 7 | ||
| 1 August 2012 - 8 September 2012 | £600 | 7 |
Notes on prices
The low season price displayed shows a 50% discount for couples only.
Larger groups booking in this period pay the full £360.
The prices displayed are for the main house only, with 3 bedrooms and one bathroom.The new loft conversion with 2 more bedrooms, bathroom and lounge area with balcony is available at an additional cost of £100 -£200 per week.
We offer a 10% discount for a second week booked in the same season and for returning customers. Christmas and New Year are priced as August.
Changeover day
Saturday is changeover day, depart by 12 noon , arrive from 4pm. However weekend visits and alternative dates may be available off-season.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1 with double bed. Bedroom 2 bunk beds and a single bed. Bedroom 3 an attic room with 2 single beds, accessed by an external staircase. Loft extension Bedroom with one double bed and children's room with two/ three singles. |
| Bathrooms: | Shower room with hand basin and washing machine on the ground floor Separate WC. New bathroom, with bath and WC in the optional extra loft extension. |
| Kitchen: | Double sink, Calor-gas oven, wood-burning Aga, microwave oven, fridge/freezer, kettle, toaster. Small table and 4 chairs. |
| Living Rooms: | The cosy dining room has exposed beams and traditional furniture,table and seven chairs, open-plan leading to lounge with wood-burning fireplace. The lounge has 2 easy chairs, a 4-seater bed settee, 4-seater sofa and TV for English videos. |
| Other: | To the rear of the house there is a useful garage/games-room with a table tennis table, punchbag, dartboard and basketball net outside. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
You will find the cottage clean and welcoming on your arrival. You are requested to depart by 12 noon so that the cleaner can prepare for the next guests to arrive at 4pm. Bed linen and towels can be provided at a cost of £10 per person. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove oven fridge/freezer microwave washing machine iron/ironing board satellite tv tv central heating high chair barbecue |
| Suitability: | pets accepted |
| Location Type: |
Notes on accommodation
Heating is by electric radiators but logs are also provided for the wood fire in the lounge and the Aga in the kitchen if desired. Pets are welcome but must be kept under control as there are sheep and cows in the adjacent fields. You can buy eggs from the farm at the bottom of the lane.
Accessibility
Apart from the attic bedroom the entire house is on the ground floor and would therefore be ideal for those with reduced mobility. There is one step up into the children's bedroom. Access to the WC is too narrow for wheelchairs however. The optional extra loft extension is not suitable for tall adults, small children or anyone with reduced mobility.
Outside
The house is located at the top of a quiet lane leading to the fields and forest. It has a parking space to the side/rear of the house with room for 2 cars. There is an enclosed garden to the front with flower beds and a view of the sheep field and valley. We bring out the garden table and chairs to soak up the sun here in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset with an aperitif in the evenings. This is a safe garden in which children can play freely. To the rear of the house there is a sunny breakfast patio with table and chairs, surrounded by a raised flower bed. Steps lead to a further garden area with a bench overlooking the valley and the adjacent farmer's field and forest. From the lane at the side of the house you can walk across fields into the forest. There are 5 bicycles available if you wish to pay a further deposit for their use and the area has many kilometers of picturesque cycle routes free from cars.
Coast/Beach
Half an hour's pleasant country drive will take you to a choice of unspoilt beaches. Enjoy the sands of Quiberville at low tide or the pebbles and rock pools of neighbouring beaches. If you want the facilities of a large town choose Dieppe, whilst nearby Pourville and Criel have all the charm of a small traditional resort with empty beaches flanked by colouful beach huts, white cliffs and a fish restaurant or 2.
Golf
We have a wonderful golf course with a hotel and restaurant at Le Vaudichon, just 4 miles down the road. There is also a magnificent golf course on the cliffs at Pourville near Dieppe.
Travel
The most direct ferry service is Newhaven – Dieppe with Transmanche Ferries. This crossing takes four hours and you then have a thirty minute drive. You can get cheaper crossings with P&O from Dover to Calais or LD Lines from Dover to Boulogne, the latter takes only 50 minutes and you then have a 90 minute drive down the A16 and A28. It’s best to shop around and book online. The village is situated on the D154 between Bellencombre and Torcy.
Distances
The nearest shops, boulangerie, bar and restaurant are in Bellencombre (4km), which also has a tiny market on Tuesday mornings. The nearest supermarkets and weekly markets are in the picturesque villages of Saint-Saens (7km) and Auffay (8km). Within cycling distance there is the Rosay Apple and Cider museum and a delightful goat farm. The historic town of Rouen is a half hour by train from Auffay. The beautiful animal park at Cleres and the amusement park at La Bocasse are a 15km drive away.
Further details
Although there's lots to do in the area for active youngsters and a temptation to do nothing at all but soak up the peace and tranquillity, Les Aubépines is a good base for a day-trip to Paris by train or a visit to Monet's garden at Giverny. Rouen makes an excellent day out too, it takes 30 minutes to drive or go by train.
This is also an ideal base for a fishing holiday, extensive fishing lakes are only half a mile up the road and you can buy a day's fishing licence on arival. There are also trout farms where you can catch your own fish for supper. There are many riding stables in the area and most of them let you hire a horse if you're an experienced rider or go on a guided group visit, if you're a beginner, on delightful excursions into the forest. For those who want a healthy holiday there is a spring at the edge of Bellencombre giving you free access to an unlimited supply of your own Spring Water.
Booking notes
A deposit of £150 confirms your booking and serves as a refundable deposit against damages or excessive fuel use. The full rental amount is payable 8 weeks before the start of the holiday.You are advised to take travel insurance in case of unforeseen problems. Cancellation refunds: up to 8 weeks before – no cancellation charge. 4-8 weeks – 50% of rate refunded. 2-4 weeks – 25% of rate refunded. Less than 2 weeks – no refund. Sorry, we only accept bookings for the whole house during peak periods.
Guest comments
"We had a fantastic holiday in your charming cottage. We couldn't believe how quiet it was! Gregory loved the sheep and the cows who came to say hello every morning. Your neighbours were all so welcoming and helpful too. We were invited to see their chickens and ducks and they sold us eggs at 10 cents each! Delicious!" Kay and family (London)
"We really loved our week at Les Aubepines, we sat in the sun every day, had camembert and baguettes with a glass of wine for lunch and made a log fire every night. We loved the stars at night and the glow-worms in the grass... Our best excursion was to the Animal park in Cleres, it has such French charm and elegance and it was great to see the animals running (or hopping) around freely." Bert & Morag (Brighton)
"Thank you for the week spent in your French maison. Deborah, Matilda and I loved our stay there. It is such a fun house and in such a sunny spot.... I particularly enjoyed the outing to the goat farm..." Clare (Market Harborough)
Owner profile
Spring lambs
About the owner
My name is Glenys Law and I was Head of Languages at Leytonstone school, in the East End of London, for the last 13 years, where I taught French, German and Spanish. My husband David is a University lecturer and we live in London with our three grown-up children and our lively dog Suki. We have always enjoyed travelling, especially in Europe and we are particularly fond of France, Greece and Turkey.
Year purchased: 1999
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We bought our cottage in France ten years ago as a holiday home and also to encourage the children to appreciate the countryside, French language and the French way of life. Normandy is near enough to England for a long weekend, but far enough away to be very French. We love the traditional French way of life, the family run farms, picturesque villages and markets full of local produce. We fell in love with the outstanding natural beauty of the Varenne Valley and the vast and imposing forest of Eawy on our doorstep. When the children were young they loved the freedom of the countryside, being able to go out for walks and bike rides on their own, which they could never do in London. For us it seemed like the going back 50 years to a life we had known when we were young.
Unique benefits of the property
When we're in France we love to go for bike rides and country walks. Our children also love to go to the play area in Saint Hellier for a game of tennis or football. We've been horse-riding and fishing at the lakes just down the road. We love canoeing down the river and often visit the “Reve de bisons” to see the wild buffaloes. We've also tried sailing, go-karting and quad biking near Dieppe. Our favourite bike ride is to Rosay, visiting the Cider museum, then the Ferme de Bures to see goats and cheese-making, finally returning via the forest on roads without a car in sight! In the summer we like to spend the day in Pourville, diving off the breakwaters and afterwards having lunch in the fish restaurant. We never miss Dieppe market on Saturday morning to stock up on delicious food.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR3198
Glenys Law
Tel: (UK) + 44 (0)20 8883 6930
Mobile: (UK) + 44 (0)7946 462 605
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Property Ref FR3198
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