Normandy Rural Retreat

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Farmhouse |4 bedrooms |Sleeps 8

Milly in St. Hilaire du Harcouet, Manche

from £65 / night

£450–£1200 / week

4 nights minimum stay

Changeover Sunday

5 out of 5

9 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Swimming pool, air conditioning, balcony/terrace, car essential, private garden, may take pets - please enquire

Check availability and book

About the home

La Petite Hyronniere is set in acres, mostly managed by sheep, but with fully fenced terraces and gardens back and front so your children can play safely.
Stone built farmhouse, ideal for relaxing with the whole family, a group of friends or a romantic getaway. Large bedrooms on all 3 floors give everyone their own space, whilst the traditional French living kitchen and fully furnished terraces provide venues for relaxed meals and conversation.
As well as the above ground pool, children's sandpit and paddling pool can be available.
See www.normandyruralretreat.com for more detail and offers.




Shooting stars are common in this part of Normandy, which can make an evening magical.



The front terrace is the formal area, with tables and chairs plus the BBQ. It looks over lawns which reach the boundary hedges and fences. The surface is hard compacted.

New for 2013 a firepit is located on the front terrace for those chillier evenings - a supply of wood is provided.

The rear terrace is pebble, with armchairs, sofa and sunloungers and hammocks. There can be a sandpit and paddling pool in this area if you wish. The back grass area is fully enclosed and gated.

Beyond the gates the grounds are wild, with many lovely spots for quiet contemplation, impromptu picnics or just enjoying a drink & a chat! There's a range of portable furniture to make painting, reading, or even staging a "Chocolat" style evening meal setting as easy as possible .

Walk the old "Chemin de feu" line into St Hilaire du Harcouet (takes about an hour) and enjoy a coffee and a browse in this lovely market town. The old railway line runs up to Mortain and beyond, and down to Mont St Michel, it's great for walking, bicycling, or even horse riding.

The loft suite has its own large bath under a sky light, great for the starry nights here in Normandy!!

The first floor has a family bathroom with typical French suite - bath with shower over, basin, bidet and toilet in separate room. There is plenty of room to dry children in this generously proportioned space, and a soft washable floor covering makes it ideal for babies and young children.

On the ground floor the large shower room has grab handles for the less mobile, and a large "Rain " shower head

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The living kitchen has a full size electric oven, and dual fuel hob plus microwave, fridge and freezer, great for proper cooking - good range of kit too, help yourself to fresh herbs and salads from the pots on both terraces. There's a dishwasher too, with detergent provided. A large wood burning stove sits in the stone hearth, adding atmosphere and warmth on chilly days & evenings. A generous supply of wood is provided.
The wood panelled double room and shower room on the ground floor are ideal for those who prefer not to climb stairs.
Relax in comfort to watch a dvd or just chat. There's an ipod dock if you want to listen to your own music/talking book. We offer English TV at no extra charge.

There is a front loading washing machine and drying rack in the utility room as well as a small tumble drier. A washing line and pegs are provided too.

The first floor has 2 bedrooms, a large double with a single daybed too and a twin, plus a family bathroom with a typical French suite including bath with shower over, bidet and basin plus separate WC cubicle.

All windows above ground floor are lockable, for safety, and roller shutters (ground & 1st floor) give a complete blackout - perfect for children and light sleepers. First floor bedrooms have ceiling fans, the loft suite has an air conditioning unit for night time comfort in the summer.
The ground floor bedroom has a floor standing fan.
All bedrooms are generously proportioned, with plenty of hanging space and storage.
There's a good selection of books - help yourself, but try to leave the same number as you take.
A range of dvds is available too.
Family games from monopoly to scrabble, Pass the Bomb to chess are provided.

NO EXTRA CHARGES FOR BED LINEN OR TOWELS





Our welcome pack includes locally produced food - we will tailor this to suit specific dietary requirements when ever we can, but the basics are all provided, from Normandy cheese and butter, bread from the village boulangerie, organic milk, free trade orange juice, tea bags, ground coffee for the coffee maker, sugar, Normandy cider (or beer or wine) and a few treats. Dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, dishcloths and tea towels, bin bags and toilet roll are all waiting for your arrival too - though you may need to replenish some supplies during your stay!

If there is a baby in your party, not only do we have a travel cot, 2 high chairs (one with it's own suitcase for dining out), robust change table, baby bath and baby alarm, we also offer a range of plastic bowls and cups, soft tip spoons and baby cutlery, and a rugged stroller to save you packing yours. Let us know and it will all be waiting for you on arrival at no extra charge. We will also provide a few extras like bibs and sensitive skin baby wipes to make you holiday a bit easier.

Further details outdoors:
Front terrace has 2 large tables one with joined benches, the other with separate chairs, parasol provided, charcoal bbq . Lawns to property boundry. Pots with herbs and salad on terrace although contents are weather dependant I'm afraid - this year's lettuces all bolted and the tomatoes are - well petite!

Terrace and lawns are secured with unobtrusive fencing, gated across the drive.

New for 2013 - fire pit with wood supply.

Back terrace has armchairs, sofa and coffee table, 2 hammocks, sunloungers plus loads of brightly coloured folding chairs for transporting around the grounds. Grassed area enclosed by unobtrusive fencing. Toddler sandpit & paddling pool can be available.

Above ground pool on back lawn(background heat June - August inclusive).

Orchards at both ends of grounds - mainly cider apples, but some eating apples and pears, which you are welcome to pick and eat during your stay.

Parking for 4 cars on large turning area by stables at bottom of drive.

Further details

Changeover day is Sunday arrival 4pm departure by 10.00am. We will try to work with your travel plans, but this will depend on other bookings.

Pets are welcome . An additional fee is requested for each pet, details provided on request.

Conditions

Pets are welcome, an additional fee will be requested.
Bins and bags are provided free of charge - please clean up after your pet.

Note that due to lambs born in springtime, dogs must be on the lead outside of the fenced garden area.

Photos

 

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Front terrace - ideal for eating, drinks and conversation

 

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Roaming free - provided sheep don't get chased

 

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Welcome pack of locally produced food waits for our guests

 

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Great views from the 18 foot diameter pool

The Normandy / Manche region

An agricultural region, local produce to try includes cheese, cider, pommeau and calvados. Climate in Milly seems to be a little milder than in England, but similar. A surprisingly rich gastronomy in addition to history.

Mont St Michel is about 25 miles, but so are beaches for fun family days out. The D day landing beaches of WW2 are worth a day trip. Towards St Malo, detour to Concale, and try some oysters, shucked for you, with half a lemon, sitting on the harbour wall - affordable luxury!

If travelling by plane to Dinard in the summer months, consider a Sunday morning detour to the seasonal market in the lovely coastal town of St Lunaire (April to March), as well as food of every kind,there are numerous artisans offering clothing, artwork, linens and household items.

The St. Hilaire du Harcouet, Manche / Milly area

Wednesday mornings is the largest market in Normandy - buy fresh produce from local farmers, fishermen or butchers to make a glorious base for a meal back at La Petite Hyronniere, or just sit with a coffee (locals call a white coffee a "Grande Creme") and watch the people, clog making and other crafts. Children love the live rabbits, ducks and chickens.

St Hilaire has a heated indoor pool, range of supermarkets and individual shops, loads of cafes and bistros plus a couple of fine dining restaurants. There's a large lake with play beaches a short walk from the bustling town centre.Take a drive to Fosse d'artur - walk among the beautiful woods, or book a pony ride, in Mortain enjoy walking in stunning countryside, with waterfalls, or swim in the huge heated outdoor pool.

How to get there

Normandy Rural Retreat What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

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Dinard Airport near St Malo has regular Ryanair flights from East Midlands and Stansted airports. Frequent special offers.
www.ryanair.com

Flybe operate flights to Rennes on the following routes:

Aberdeen to Rennes
Belfast City to Rennes
Dublin to Rennes
Edinburgh to Rennes
Exeter to Rennes
Guernsey to Rennes
Glasgow Intl. to Rennes
Inverness to Rennes
Isle of Man to Rennes
Jersey to Rennes
Kirkwall to Rennes
Leeds Bradford to Rennes
Sumburgh to Rennes
Manchester to Rennes
Newcastle to Rennes
Southampton to Rennes
Stornoway to Rennes
( www.flybe.com)
it is 60 miles away, and there are a wide range of hire car operators there - it's worth checking the airport and flybe sites as there are frequent special offers.



Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries are convenient - St Malo is about an hour away, Caen Ouistream about an hour and a half, Cherbourg in the region of 2 hours - all dependant on traffic.
Brittany Ferries charge £16.50 for each pet each way

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

Condor charge £30 for the first dog and £15 for each additional dog for a return crossing.
http://www.condorferries.co.uk/Trip/TakingPets.html

LD lines use Le Havre, which is just over 2 hours drive away.

Ferries from Dover into Calais or Bolougne are considerably less expensive than into the Normandy or Brittany ports, but do bear in mind the 4 hour drive, with fuel and peage (toll road) charges.

Activities near St. Hilaire du Harcouet, Manche

Reviews

Review: 1 to 3 of 9

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20 Mar 2013

“Baby's first holiday (with parents and grandparents in tow!)” La Petite Hyronniere - trip advisor review La Petite Hyronniere is a traditional French farmhouse on the edge of the little village of Milly. It is beautifully decorated and stocked with... more Response: I am glad you enjoyed your first family holiday, and the baby equipment worked for you. I've added home made alcoholic lemon cordial to the welcome pack - great for a relaxing drink on the... more

26 Oct 2012

“A fantastic family holiday!” Sorry it's taken so long to getting round to this. We had a wonderful week here in July. Three generations and our two dogs! We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The house itself is beautiful.... more Response: Thanks for the review; I am glad the fully enclosed gardens meant you were able to relax with your family and pets, and the baby and toddler kit was right for your family. I felt it was important to... more

24 Aug 2012

“what a brill place for holiday” jane made our stay brilliant the three young kids enjoyed the pool the house is very big. Plenty of room,lovely food ready on arrival food pack was all lovely as was the bread. As was all... more Response: It was such fun having your family to stay, and I have now got a football net and goal targets!! I try to provide the very best I can for my guests, and in the heart of Normandy it is great to be... more

Review: 1 to 3 of 9

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Review: 4 to 6 of 9

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22 Jul 2012

“A home from home.” Stayed here first fortnight in July with my husband & 2 young children, my parents & my brother & sister in law with their 9 month old baby. Fantastic house & Jane has truly thought of... more

03 Jul 2012

“The house was very well equipped, an excellent vacation experience” We travelled to Normandy from Canada with our four teenage children. The Normandy Rural Retreat farm house is very well equipped and well located. During the day we found lots of things to do in the area, including Juno Beach, Falaise Castle, Mont St Micheal, some local markets & a few different beaches. In the evening we relaxed at the house, with the swimming pool, videos & walks. We all enjoyed our visit and would love to visit again if we return to France. Response: Really happy you had a good stay. We hope having a laptop made it easier for you to check on mail and research trips while you were away. We hope to welcome you back to Milly in the future.

06 Nov 2011

“A real treat.” Never mind Rural Retreat this was a real treat of a place to stay. Everything you could possibly want in the way of home comforts but with the just the right amount of seclusion for a totally... more Response: I am so glad you enjoyed your stay, Hyroniere is a great place to stay if you are travelling solo, even though it can accomadate many it really is a 'get away from it all location'.... more

Review: 4 to 6 of 9

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Review: 7 to 9 of 9

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01 Nov 2011

“A lovely holiday, I would definitely stay here again.” We planned for a relaxing week of sun-bathing, meals out and the occasional cosy night in with a DVD. The excellent weather, lovely restaurants only a short drive away and the rather large television made this the perfect holiday - exactly what we had in mind. The property's just secluded enough for wonderful views, peace and quiet and nature (owls in the barns were a real treat) but close enough to civilisation that we never felt isolated or bored. Most of all, it felt genuinely French. Response: Thanks for your review. So glad you enjoyed the owls, the farm and the area. Hope we'll see you in France next year.

31 Oct 2011

“Rural retreat in Lower Normandie with lots of things to do...” We stayed at La Petite Hyronniere with our two dogs in August 2011. It was the best place to relax. It was sunny and warm with beautiful "all stars" out at night. The village has its own Boulangerie as well as local Calvados producer Coquerel, where we tried some apple based drinks. There are a number of restaurants within short distance to eat in St. Hilaire and Mortain. The Wednesday market at St. Hilaire was a must. We also went to Mont St. Michel and it was a great day out. The rooms were very comfortable. The owner has thought of everything to make our stay enjoyable. The house and surrounding gardens have been fenced to ensure dogs can run free and be safe. The local villiage walk / cycle path ensured amazing scenery and lots of fun. We are definitely coming back. Response: Thank you very much for your positive review. I am so pleased you enjoyed the farm and the area. The old chemins du feu are really great for walking and cycling safe from any motorised traffic. Hope to see you again soon in France!

30 Oct 2011

“Excellent holiday in a truly wonderful setting.” We have just returned from a week long stay and couldn't have been happier with our trip. We travelled as a group of 4 and arrived late Sunday night after a long ferry crossing. The house was warm and inviting with a welcome note which was a really thoughtful touch (we also had a home-made lasagne, bread, milk and traditional cider waiting for us, bliss!). The house is well decorated and clean inside with lots of facilities which you often wouldn't expect such as a TV, DVD player and WiFi. This didn't detract from the traditional feeling of the place however, it was nice to be able to check emails and watch DVDs in the evenings curled up in front of the log fire. I stayed in the attic room at the top of the house, which was the icing on the cake; it was absolutely stunning. The pictures on the website don't really give you a real sense of the scale of the room, but it has a gorgeously comfortable bed at one end and a luxury roll top bath the other. It was a real treat having a bath in the mornings in the middle of my bedroom and being able to look out of the sky lights! The gardens of the house are amazing too, a stream running through at the bottom and even an old bakery! The garden furniture was excellent to use during the evenings for drinks outside or to play one of the boardgames we found. Jane kindly recommended us some superb local restaurants which were actually really reasonable, much like the farmhouse itself which, between 4, was excellent value for the week. The town of St Hilaire (about a 10 minute drive) has a lot to discover. We were worried it might be quite a sleepy town with limited things to do in the evenings. Not the case! I would recommend visiting the market on a Wednesday, we bought some fresh fish to cook in the evening along with a few souvenirs for home. In the evenings there are plenty of local bars where you can try and practise your French if you're feeling brave! If not the locals are all very friendly with most speaking English. I would definitely recommend taking the car ferry (like us) or hiring whilst you're there, as there are so many things to do which are an hour or so away, like Mont Saint-Michel which was one of the highlights of our trip. This place is a real hidden gem, gorgeously quiet and peaceful yet a stones throw away from a really exciting area. Our time at the farmhouse was thoroughly enjoyable and we cannot wait to return next year for more!!! Response: so glad you enjoyed your stay at the farm - and for your kind review. I promise to update the dvd selection before your next visit!! Since you stayed, I have managed to source solar panels to heat the pool, so it will now be available from 1st June to 31st August. I look forward to seeing you all in France in 2012.

Review: 7 to 9 of 9

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Rental prices

Prices for group size 8
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Early 2013	7 Jan 13	15 Jun 13	450£ 450	85£ 85	85£ 85	4 Nights
Summer 2013	15 Jun 13	16 Sep 13	750£ 750	-	-	1 Week
Autumn 2013	16 Sep 13	20 Dec 13	500£ 500	85£ 85	90£ 90	4 Nights
Christmas New Year	20 Dec 13	7 Jan 14	1050£ 1050	175£ 175	175£ 175	4 Nights
Early 2014	7 Jan 14	14 Jun 14	500£ 500	85£ 85	90£ 90	4 Nights
high season	14 Jun 14	13 Sep 14	880£ 880	-	-	1 Week
autumn 2014	13 Sep 14	20 Dec 14	550£ 550	90£ 90	95£ 95	4 Nights
Christmas New Year	20 Dec 14	10 Jan 15	1200£ 1200	200£ 200	200£ 200	4 Nights
Early 2015	10 Jan 15	13 Jun 15	600£ 600	90£ 90	95£ 95	4 Nights
Summer 2015	13 Jun 15	12 Sep 15	880£ 880	-	-	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.

Rental rates include all linens including tea towels.

A generous welcome pack including many Normandy specialities is provided.

Baby alarm, child saftey gates, baby bath, robust buggy and 2 high chairs (one with its own suitcase for restaurant dining en famille) but no cot bedding or cot linen provided.

A supply of wood for the log burner is included for bookings to June and from September.

A discount is available if 2 consecutive weeks or more are booked between 1st September 2013 and 14th June 2014. Please contact the owner for details.

Discount available on Brittany Ferries crossings.

Accept GBP or euro cheques or electronic bank transfers, cash .(Prices are in GBP - exchange rate will be agreed for euro payment at the time of payment).

Credit card payment via PayPal - a small administration charge applies, please ask for details.

A deposit is required in addition to property rental; this will be returned within 14 days of the return of keys to the caretaker, less any deductions for damages or excessive cleaning.

A 25% deposit secures a booking, payment in full is due 8 week before arrival.

An additional fee will be charged for each pet - details on request.

Availability

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

Availability notes:

Other changeover days may be possible. Ask for details.

Contact the owner

* Required fields Please check the following errors: First name * Last name * Email *   Did you mean ""? Yes / No Phone number Arrival date Departure date   Ignore calendar - enquire anyway No. of adults No. of children Message * Send me ideas on where to stay

1 year listed You are contacting Jane Viccars Landline 44 01509 415946 Mobile 44 07976 325740 Web Visit site Payment accepted Credit cards accepted PayPal accepted Languages spoken The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2011. This farmhouse has received 9 reviews from previous guests.

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