Le Grand Val

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Cottage |4 bedrooms |Sleeps 10

Mardilly in Gace

from £208 / night

£1450–£1700 / week

1 night minimum stay

Changeover flexible

5 out of 5

2 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Swimming pool, car advised, private garden, may take pets - please enquire

Check availability and book

About the home

The house and barn have both been renovated and modernised to a very high standard throughout. They offer lots of original charm for guests to enjoy. The property is suitable for families or friends, and is able to comfortably sleep 8 guests in the main house. It has 1 king en suite, 1 double en suite, and 2 twin bedrooms. There are an additional 2 beds in the barn. The house has a choice of 2 living rooms, the main having a magnificent open fireplace, whilst the other comes complete with Sky T.V. and DVD, in the converted cavé. The house and barn have exposed beams, and oak and stone floors throughout. Outside there is a choice of 4 patios, 2 of them with bbqs, for you to enjoy meals alfresco.

The swimming pool area in the barn has a sauna, shower, and change facilities. It has a paddling pool section for toddlers, and large french doors which open onto a paved and grassed private patio with covered bbq. Sun loungers and deck chairs are provided to help you enjoy the sun. Upstairs in the barn is a Bar which has a large picture window overlooking the pool. As well as your usual pub games such as cards and poker, there is Sky T.V, a DVD player and Nintendo Wii console available to use. Boules can be played on the gravel driveway just outside the well equipped Games room.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
In addition to the 2 en suites there is a superb bathroom with large roll top bath and vanity sink. There is a closet on each floor in the house and 1 in the barn. The house benefits from underfloor and central heating, and all modern kitchen appliances including hob, oven and grill, dishwasher, and washer/dryer. All linen and towels are provided with the exception of towels required for the swimming pool. There are no costs charged to guests for heating or wood use. For toddlers and babies a highchair, cot, and pushchair can be provided. Board games and toys for all ages are ready for you to use, as is a selection of films on DVD. All stereos have iPod docks and CD facilities.

Further details outdoors:
The property is in a very private location nestling in a valley. It is accessed via a 2 km drive down a quiet country lane through a wood. The property is totally secure and has a lockable gate. A long gravel drive with a turning island by the house provides copious space for parking. The garden is grassed throughout with pear, apple, cherry, and walnut trees. There are 2 patio areas by the house, and 1 at the pool end of the barn. In the centre of the garden is another patio area next to the original stone cider press wheel. All offer great views of the valley, house and barn, and of the many birds of prey which live in the woods.

Further details

Our English speaking caretakers, Paul and Freya, will be present on your arrival to give you a warm welcome to Le Grand Val, and to answer any questions you may have.
A welcome basket will also be provided.
The fridge in the bar will be stocked with beer, we kindly ask that you replenish this before your departure.

Conditions

Only small pets will be considered, please enquire at time of booking.
Strictly no smoking in the house please. Smoking in the bar and games room is allowed.
A £200 non refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.
The outstanding balance is then due 6 weeks prior to departure. A £200 security deposit is also due at this time with the final payment to cover any damages that may occur which are above normal wear and tear. This will be returned within 1 week of your return once the property has been cleaned and audited by the caretakers.
If the property is found to have been left in an unreasonable state a £100 cleaning charge will be levied. Details of this, and other conditions, are available at time of booking.
For any bookings over 2 weeks in duration we would require a £500 deposit.

Photos

 

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Colombage house at Le Grand Val

 

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View of the house from the ancient cider press

 

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Main Living room with wood burning open fireplace

 

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Heated Indoor Swimming Pool in converted barn

The Normandy / Orne region

Le Grand Val is located in the village of Mardilly, 6kms from the medieval town of Gacé and 16 kms from the town of Vimoutiers. Both offer a choice of shops, brasseries, restaurants, and weekly French markets for you to sample French life. The region is famed for its cheese, pork, and cider produce. It has a wealth of equestrian centres, with the renowned Haras-de-Pin a short drive away. An equestrian show is held there every Thursday afternoon from March to October.

The Gace / Mardilly area

Many days out can be enjoyed from the property's location, including Chateau D'O, Cerza zoo at Lisieux, and Devil Park. The nearest place of interest is Abbaye de Saint-Evroult Notre-Dame-du-Bois which is a ruined abbey next to a lake. It makes a great place for a picnic and has pedalos and boats available for hire.

Medieval Falaise, the birthplace of William the Conquerer, is within 50 kms of the house as is Liseux with its impressive basilisque. For the more adventurous, the area is surrrounded by a wealth of forests which are ideal for hiking and cycling. Golf and fishing are also close by. Canoeing and rafting can be done at Bagnole-de-Orne or Livarot.

The famous Bayeaux Tapestry is just over an hour away, as is Le Mans famed for its 24 hour races. Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer are also an hour away and are the original coastal resorts of the rich and famous in France with fantastic seafood restaurants,casinos,and shops, very popular with tourists. The coast with the D-day landing beaches are only 90 kms drive away. Apart from being a place of historical interest these also make a great day out with sandy beaches and fresh seafood restaurants galore. St. Malo, Mont St. Michel and Paris can be reached in 3 hours.

How to get there

Le Grand Val What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

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The nearest ferry port is Caen which can be reached from Portsmouth. This route is served by Brittany ferries. The owner can provide a membership code for discount crossings upon request. It is 54 miles (85 kms) drive to the property. Book with www.brittanyferries.com.

The second closest port is Le Harve and this is served by LD Lines from Portsmouth or Newhaven. It is 70 miles (110 kms) drive to the property. Book with ldline.co.uk.

The third closest port is Dieppe which is also served by LD Lines. This is 110 miles (175 kms) drive to the property.

The Channel Tunnel and Dover to Calais/Boulogne ferry routes all give access to the property in just over 3 hours by car.

By plane the property can be reached from the UK from London City Airport to Deauville Airport direct with KLM, Air France, and City Jet. Also from Edingburgh and Dundee, indirect. The property is 47 miles (1 1/4 hours) from Deauville Airport. The second nearest airport is Dinard. This is served by Ryanair with flights from Stansted and East Midlands. Book with www.ryanair.com. From here it is a 3 hour drive to the property. Vehicles can be booked through companies such as Hertz for collection at the airport. Paris airport is also 3 hours away by car.

Activities near Gace

Reviews

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

20 Apr 2012

“Three generations of our family loved Le Grand Val” There were seven in our party, two grandparents, ourselves, a nine year old son and twelve and thirteen year old girls, all packed in one Vauxhall Zafira, so we were well packed in, we had deliberately decided to take the bare minimum of holiday luggage, which was in the roof box. It was a squeeze, so we were really looking forward to a relaxing week before travelling home like sardines again. For route finding we had TomTom, which took us right to the door, although, Chrissie, the owner had provided us with some detailed route material, plus, we also took a map book as a back up. We travelled on a Saturday afternoon, using the toll roads, which cost in total about 22euros, the journey went smoothly, with no hold-ups. As we approached the house, down a hill from the Mardilly route, Le Grand Val was visible to us and it looked a treat, set well away from any other properties in its own grounds. Entering through the tall gates and crunching up the sweeping gravel drive to the house was very satisfying. Le Grand Val is just as pretty as it looks on the website, with grounds that were well maintained, but I think it unlikely the gardener will be a mole lover, with whom he must have a constant battle! Paul and Freya, the caretakers, were on hand to welcome us. They were very friendly and had clearly worked hard ensuring the house and barn were lovely and clean for the new arrivals. They took us on a tour explaining all that we would be likely to need to know. A very nice hamper of goodies, including some cracking local cider, was left in the kitchen. The whole house is attractively decorated, with lots of very handsome exposed beams. Upstairs the bedrooms were nice, especially the two master bedrooms. The kitchen was well appointed. There is a 'cave' downstairs with TV, DVD player, Sky with UK freeview channels and childrens toys. Out of the front door onto a lovely patio, with eating area and sunbeds, overlooking the main garden area and the cider press. One of our favourite areas was the living room off the kitchen, with two lovely comfy leather sofa's, in front of a large open fire. We really liked curling up in front of a roaring fire, sipping at some Calvados or wine, what a treat. There are books to read, dvd's to watch, cards and things provided for any quiet nights. At first I was dissappointed there was no internet access, however on reflection, due to the amount of things to do within the house and barn, we had no need of it, and if it was to stay in contact, the house has a phone with an honesty box. About 40 yards or so away is the Barn, containing the all important pool. The pool is large, but due to a section, roughly a quarter to a third, to enable toddlers to play, the whole length is not available for swimming, but the deep part is still big enough for us big kids to play and splash. The pool is heated, and there are efficient heaters around it keeping the whole area nice and warm. Off the pool is a nice sauna and a shower room. If you get bored with the pool...? Another section of the barn, past the changing room and toilet, has a pub style pool table, a table tennis table, a table football game and a dart board, with enough room to play all simultaneously with relative ease. There is also an i-pod dock to play some tunes. Upstairs in the Barn takes you to the bar area. TV, DVD player, Sky and Wii with several games are provided in a nice seating area with a cottage style window overlooking the pool. The area was big enough for us to have our own Britains Got Talent night. Behind the bar is a sound system, which I think used to be connected to speakers in the pool, but we could not get them to work, which would have made the pool even better, however it didn't impact us to where we felt the need to contact Paul. We were fortunate that even in April we had sun everyday, but it was still chilly, however we managed two BBQ's, but we reckon that in summer when the local temperature is higher the patio doors from the pool opening onto the BBQ/ patio area would be really pleasant. Also provided is a badminton net and plenty of rackets and shuttlecocks, but due to the chillines this wasn't used too often. There are also rugby and footballs and frizbees to use. The area is a haven of quiet, and we all loved on a night to go outside and star gaze, they have not heard about light pollution here. Gace is the nearest village, with a couple of small supermarkets, which stock most of what you may need, 5 minutes by car, but it is too far away to walk and pick up your morning baguette. There is so much provided at Le Grand Val, that we did not do much other than enjoy the facilities, but we did make a trip to Lisieux to see the war graves and the Basillica de St Therese. We personally love France, wherever we have so far been, but the area around Le Grand Val is one of the nicer areas we have been fortunate enough to visit. If you are like us, until you get where you are heading, you are concerned that the photo's on the website are old and no longer representative of the property, well as of April 2012 I can 100% confirm that Le Grand Val was fully what I was hoping to get and more, the website photos don't do it full justice. I would recommend Le Grand Val wholeheartedly, and my wife has already been checking to see if we can go again.

30 Oct 2011

“Brilliant - would definately go again” If you are looking for a holiday with complete peace and quiet this is definately the place for you. Large garden, great for kids to play in - in fact middle child learnt to ride her bike there. Swimming pool is large enough for a family to play around in but probably not if you want to use for exercise. Games room is a blessing if your weather is not too great, plenty for kids and adults of all ages to get involved with. House itself was lovely. When we go away self-catering we always pack everything but the kitchen sink but with this property it really wasn't necessary. Our group (3 kids, 2 parents, 3 grandparents) had a fantastic time, kids said it was the best holiday they have ever had and would love to come back again. It is a fair drive to the normandy beaches but close by there is a local run museum at Montromel where we learnt far more than at the larger more commercial sites, (museum is also completely unbiased and story is told from all angels). This location is ideal for those who want a quiet getaway, lots of animals coming into the garden and beautiful clear starry nights. My only downs are that as we had a toddler some of the steps can be quite steep, also no wifi at the property. Highly recommended for some great bonding time together though!

Review: 1 to 2 of 2

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Rental prices

Prices for group size 10
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Low season	5 Jan 13	9 Feb 13	950£ 950	-	-	1 Night
Mid season	9 Feb 13	23 Mar 13	1450£ 1450	-	-	1 Night
Easter	23 Mar 13	13 Apr 13	1700£ 1700	-	-	1 Week
Mid season	13 Apr 13	29 Jun 13	1450£ 1450	-	-	1 Week
Summer season	29 Jun 13	7 Sep 13	1700£ 1700	-	-	1 Week
Mid season	7 Sep 13	19 Oct 13	1450£ 1450	-	-	1 Week
Autumn break	19 Oct 13	2 Nov 13	1700£ 1700	-	-	1 Week
Mid season	2 Nov 13	21 Dec 13	1450£ 1450	-	-	1 Week
Christmas New Year	21 Dec 13	4 Jan 14	1700£ 1700	-	-	1 Week

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

We accept payment made in GBP by PayPal, cheque or bank transfer. Also in Euros by bank transfer.

A £200 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.

The outstanding balance is then due 6 weeks before the holiday start date.

A £200 security deposit is also due with this final payment to cover any damages that may occur which are above normal wear and tear. This will be returned within 1 week of your return, once the property has been cleaned and audited by the caretakers.

If the property is found to have been left in an unreasonable state a £100 cleaning charge will be levied. Details of this,and other conditions, are available at tme of booking.

For breaks of over one week, for example 10 days, the folowing day rates apply. Low season £90 per day, Mid season £120 per day.

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

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4 years listed You are contacting Chrissie Sharman Landline n/a Mobile 44 07733 622850 Languages spoken The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2009. This cottage has received 2 reviews from previous guests.

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