Beautiful Normandy Period House with Lovely Gardens and a Pretty Pond
Peaceful Location in Rolling Countryside, but just 5 minutes from centre of Vire by car
Sleeps 2/6 (2 Bedrooms)
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Our lovely house lies in a peaceful valley amongst farmland just outside the tiny hamlet of Vaudry, and not far from Vire town centre. It has extensive gardens full of cherry, apple, pear and walnut trees, and overlooks its own pretty pond. We have a picnic table for lunching outside and a patio area with a barbecue. It has two good sized bedrooms and a beautifully converted loft room. There is a large lounge dining room with wood burning stove and antique furniture. Cows, chickens and even turkeys can be seen from the kitchen windows as well as rabbits and numerous birds. In season you are welcome to pick the apples, pears and walnuts. The area is very peaceful and the surrounding countryside is ideal for those who like walking and cycling. It is an ideal base to visit the famous Bayeux tapestry, Mont St Michel and the dazzling coastline with its long sandy beaches - all within an hour's drive. However, if you are like us you will be quite happy to relax in the beautiful gardens.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 31 March 2012 - 30 April 2012 | £395 | 5 | ||
| 1 May 2012 - 30 June 2012 | £445 | 5 | ||
| 1 July 2012 - 28 July 2012 | £495 | 7 | ||
| 29 July 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £545 | 7 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 29 September 2012 | £445 | 5 | ||
| 1 October 2012 - 31 October 2012 | £395 | 5 |
Notes on prices
Payment can be made by UK cheque, BACS or in euros via our French bank account. Details sent with booking form. Kitchen and bathroom linen is provided. If possible please supply your own bedlinen and towels. We can provide this on request at an additional charge. We offer a 5% discount to couples and an extra 5% to repeat visitors. We also offer a 5% discount for 2 week bookings. Minimum stay 5 nights, subject to availability, £80 per night. The house is closed between November and March.
Changeover day
Usual arrival time is after 2pm and departure by 11am. We are flexible about the changeover day.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | White bedroom with double bed, armoire (wardrobe), chest of drawers. Blue bedroom has twin beds and double futon, bedside cabinets, an easy chair. The converted loft has a double futon. All rooms have views over the pond. Duvets and pillows provided. |
| Bathrooms: | The main bathroom has a bath and shower attachment. Bathmats, shampoo and soap all provided. Two hair dryers can be found in the bedrooms. There is a separate toilet and shower in the converted loft room. Separate WC downstairs. |
| Kitchen: | The kitchen has a pine table, seating 6, with double doors onto the garden. There is a ceramic hob with electric oven, fridge, microwave oven, kettle, toaster, crockery and glassware. Basic supplies are provided i.e. tea, coffee, sugar, flour, oil. |
| Utility Room: | The downstairs toilet has a Bosch washing machine, mini hoover and cleaning materials. There is also an iron and ironing board. |
| Living Rooms: | The lounge/dining room has an antique table with 6 chairs. 3-seater sofa, 2 easy chairs. The oak armoire has board games, cards, boules. We have satellite TV/DVD and radio/CD player. There is a wood burning stove in the lounge. Wood supplied. |
| Other: | The converted loft has a double futon and en-suite bathroom with shower. There is a table and chairs and an easel for those who like to paint. The small chest contains extra bedding and towels. All rooms have electric radiators. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Please clean and tidy the house before you leave for the next visitors. We do not provide a cleaner. We charge £10 per person to provide bedlinen and towels, otherwise please bring your own. We have a washing machine and washing line in the garden. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove oven fridge microwave washing machine iron/ironing board satellite tv central heating barbecue |
| Location Type: |
Notes on accommodation
We recommend you bring slippers/indoor shoes as the floors downstairs are tiled. We now have satellite TV (English), with a DVD, a CD player and radio and the oak armoire contains a variety of games including boules, tennis racquets, ping pong ball and bats. There are electric radiators in every room and a wood burning stove in the lounge. Wood supplies can be found in the adjoining gite. This is our second home and we are sure you will enjoy the peaceful surroundings as we do. The area is quite lovely, with birds and wildlife. Our neighbours are retired farmers and their son still runs the dairy farm in the hamlet of La Thibaudiere. Although they don't speak any English they will give you a warm welcome and be on hand for any assistance. We do not have internet access in the house. There is an internet cafe in Vire opposite the Tourist Information Office.
Accessibility
The property is not ideal for people with mobility problems as the bedrooms are on the first and second floors, up a curved staircase. The house is situated in the countryside, so you definitely need a car to get around. The nearest shop is the Le Clerc supermarket about 5 minutes away by car. This sells everything you would need and is on the main road into Vire. It is particularly good for fresh bread and patisserie as well as daily ready to eat meals. The wines here are also very good value.
Outside
The adjoining gite is used to store garden furniture. Here you will find sun loungers, a sun umbrella for those hot days and a small portable barbecue.There is a wooden bench style picnic table, seating 6, for meals in the garden. Also a small white garden table and chairs for 2 with a green sun umbrella. The garden has sunny and shady areas, so we suggest you bring blankets or beach towels if you want to sit outside in the sun or by the pond. This can be partitioned off if you have young children with you. The entrance gate can be kept closed to ensure children don't run too far from the property. We employ a local gardener, Sylvain, to maintain the lawns and hedges but we are delighted if you wish to do a bit of pruning or watering to help keep the garden looking lovely. Please feel free to pick the flowers and fruit in season. There are apple trees, cherry trees, pear trees, and walnut trees. The hydrangeas make lovely flower decorations.
Coast/Beach
It takes just over 30 minutes to drive to the coast. Granville and Avranches are both worth a visit and the coastline between is very beautiful with long sandy beaches and charming little seaside villages. From Granville port you can take a boat to the Isles of Chaussey, a group of 100 islands, which become submerged at high tide. There are also lovely wild beaches north of Granville towards Coutances. You will find maps and leaflets in the house giving details.
Golf
The golf course at Lac de la Dathee is just 15 minutes drive away and offers 18 holes. Its quite challenging with lots of water. You can hire clubs and buy a bucket of balls if you just want to practice your swing. The clubhouse is in a very pretty setting and you can always have a drink on the terrace and relax with friends and family even if you don't play. There are picnic areas and lovely walks by the lake for non players.
Travel
Britanny Ferries go to Caen or Cherbourg. We are just over 1 hour's drive from the ferry terminal at Ouistreham Port, Caen and around 1 hour 30 minutes from Cherbourg. You can use our membership to get a 10% discount off their prices. Please ask us for details. The nearest airport is Carpiquet at Caen and you would need to hire a car to get to the house at Vaudry. The train station at Vire is about 10 minutes away with trains to Paris, Granville and Caen.
Distances
The market town of Vire is 5 minutes by car and en route is the largest supermarket in Vire, Le Clerc, as well as local bakers, a chemist and a Lidl for bargains. There is a charming local museum by the river that's worth a visit.
We are only 30 minutes drive to the Suisse Normande to the east and 30 minutes to the coast and the beaches around Granville and Avranches to the west. Bayeux is a 45 minute drive northwards and Mont St Michel, Cancale, St Malo and the Normandy Beaches one hour away.
Further details
Market day in Vire is every Friday morning and you can buy local produce, honey, cider, Calvados, seafood, fruit and vegetables as well as clothes and household goods (tablecloths are particularly good value). Its full of character with an area in the square selling live chickens, ducks and geese. Vire is a very French town and not too touristy. There are several banks, a theatre and cinema and a range of cafes, restaurants and pizzerias in Vire for all tastes as well as some excellent restaurants in the surrounding area. About 15 minutes by car is Lac Dathee which has sailing, pedalos and an 18 hole golf course. Nearby villages all have different market days. St Sever is on Saturday mornings with local produce on offer and there are several characterful bars as well as the famous Abbey. Further on, about 30 minutes by car, is Villedieu les Poeles, the celebrated copper town with museums and a Sunday morning market in its cobbled streets. To the east is the lovely Suisse Normande with beautiful rivers and holiday atmosphere, and the Chateau du Pontecoulant en route which is worth a visit. The nearest supermarket Le Clerc is only 5 minutes away by car (good for bread and wine). Its worth remembering that the shops are closed on Sundays. It is a good idea to bring milk and bread with you if you arrive on a Saturday evening.
Booking notes
We will send you a booking form and ask you to return this with a £100 refundable security deposit to confirm your booking. Full payment is due 5-6 weeks prior to your stay. This can be made in sterling by cheque or via a UK bank. We also accept euros via our French bank account. If you wish to use Paypal please add 5%. Once the final amount has been paid, we will send you full details on the house, a map of how to get there and access to keys. It is useful to know where you are travelling from.
Guest comments
Michael and Barbara Crane, Derbyshire: "The location was fantastic, quiet and private but not isolated. The spacious, light and airy rooms very conducive to a relaxing break. The views from every window were a delight".
Jen and Ernest Jacoby, Elstree: We woke to blue skies every morning and had a sky full of stars every night in your lovely house. Idyllic! Kitchen was most comprehensive and easy to use. The shopping in Vire was first class and everywhere there were lovely, varied walks nearby. Adored the cattle and hens, ducks etc. Very reasonable for Paradise!
Geoff and Patricia Bull, Kidderminster: 'We had a fantastic week relaxing at your house, just the quietness of the place gives you a good feeling. We couldn't believe the position of the property and passing through the gates seemed to take you to another world.'
Owner profile
About the owner
John and Nadine live in Brighton where we offer bed and breakfast in our Victorian terraced house situated above Preston Park. John was a University Lecturer and Nadine worked in publishing for many years as a PR/Marketing Manager and prior to that was an air hostess with British Caledonian Airways. We both love France and have visited many different parts of France over the years. However, we love the area, particularly the peaceful and rolling countryside and the fact that its not touristy but a taste of real France.
Year purchased: 2007
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We bought La Thibau as we plan to move to France one day and we love the area. Its so convenient for the ferry and the coast with lots to see and do nearby. The house is in the countryside, surrounded by dairy farms and is very peaceful but its only 5 minutes to the centre of Vire. The garden is full of fruit trees, shrubs and its own small lake. We have frogs in the lake, and have seen lots of interesting birds, such as jays, woodpeckers and owls, plus squirrels and rabbits in abundance.
Unique benefits of the property
Situated in rolling countryside amidst dairy farms it is not at all isolated, being just 5 minutes by car to Vire town centre, which is a thriving market town and even closer to Le Clerc, the biggest supermarket in Vire. It is a beautiful period house, built in 1924, with two large double bedrooms and a converted loft with en-suite bathroom. The downstairs is open plan with a charming old style kitchen and large fireplace with a wood burning stove. It only takes us 1 hour to drive from the ferry port at Ouistreham, Caen and is just a 30 minute drive to the coast with its lovely beaches. We can sleep 6 people easily but are also happy to have couples stay. Its just nice that the house is used and loved.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR4511
Contact Name:
Nadine Tomkins
(UNITED KINGDOM) +44 01273709158
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Property Ref FR4511
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