Normandy holiday farm house

La Martinière

Welcome to our lovely family-friendly farmhouse, set in 10 acres of magical grounds for you to explore. We hope you enjoy the sunny rooms, bluebell wood & pretty stream as much as we do. The house is close to Lake Dathee, the St. Sever forest, and the bustling market town of Vire, in Calvados, Normandy. There is plenty to do on the doorstep and the Normandy attractions of this region are all within about an hour's drive.

~ click here for guest information, location and attractions nearby ~
"I would just like to say that we had an amazing time, the house is beautiful and the setting was absolutely stunning! Your help in ensuring we had maps and knew where we were going was brilliant, your level of customer service outstanding!" Lewis family 24-31 May 08

La Martinière is a pretty detached 'fermette' (small farm house) set in 10 acres of gardens, meadows and woodland, bordered by a stream, in a tranquil hamlet just a few minutes south of the bustling town of Vire and close to Lake Dathée and the St. Sever forest. At just over an hour from the ferry port at Caen, and 1.5 hours from Cherbourg, La Martinière is very easy to reach and makes an ideal location to explore all that Normandy has to offer with most attractions with an hour's drive.

ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES

The south-facing farm house is airy, light, comfortable and well-equipped. It has a large kitchen / dining room with a stainless steel range cooker with 5 burners and huge oven, double sink and prep area looking out onto the dining room. A doorway leads through to a spacious rear kitchen / utility room with large fridge with freezer compartment, automatic washing machine and iron for your convenience. There is also a second sink and cloakroom with toilet. On the ground floor there is also a very large, comfortable salon.

On the first floor there are three double bedrooms (the master bedroom has a king size bed) and one twin bedroom, all with lovely wooden floors and views. A cot is available on request. There is a bathroom (with shower) and separate WC upstairs. The house has full oil fired central heating and double glazing for all year comfort.

With four double / twin bedrooms, La Martinière is spacious enough for several families or couples to share for a comfortable and relaxing family or group holiday.

OUTDOORS

The house is set off a quiet lane, several hundred yards down a private drive leading to just two other properties. It has an enclosed and level, lawned garden adjacent to the house, ideal as a play area for children. The rest of the grounds extend to 10 acres, including 'La Rocher' (the rock), our very own small hill, topped with huge granite boulders and offering stunning views across the valley to 'La Lande Vaumont'. Two beech woodlands on the hillside are filled with bluebells in spring and make a perfect, shady area for picnics. Another lovely feature is 'Pre de la fontaine' (the meadow of the spring/fountain), a haven for butterflies this small field has a natural spring and is edged with a meandering stream.

There are plenty of quiet, secluded and shady spots to sit and read a book and enjoy the birdsong and catch a glimpse of the local wildlife including our resident owl. You may also be lucky to see the deer who regularly visit our woodlands.

LOCATION & THINGS TO DO

La Martinière is situated at 'St-Germaine-de-Tallevende-La-Lande-Vaumont' (a very big name for a relatively small place) just a few miles south of Vire, which is the capital of the 'Bocage Virois' region of Calvados in Normandy, close to the border with the region of Manche. The 'bocage' landscape refers to the characteristic fields and hedge banks of the area, with rolling hills, occasional gorges, lakes and forests, and quiet country lanes lined with hazelnuts and blackberries. The area is totally unspoilt, free from crowds and rich with wildlife.

Countryside, cycling, walking, horse-riding

You will find beautiful countryside and extensive walks on the doorstep, including a disused railway line, accessible for cycling and walking, nearby, which extends northwest close to Lake Dathée and south to Mortain and the national park. We can recommend horse-riding nearby and provide help with cycling and walking routes. The immediate surroundings will provide most British visitors with a poignant memory of a beautiful and disappearing England, perhaps a chance to relive those memories and for some, to share it with their own children. The air is fresh, and the pace of life is restful and with temperatures usually a little warmer than Britain it makes for a longer summer and milder spring, autumn and winter.

Beaches, nature and leisure lakes, golfing, family water park, historical sites

The house is in a very peaceful area, just over 2 miles from the village so it's not far to get your fresh bread and pastries! There is a wonderful farm, very close by, with its own farm shop and a recommended auberge at St-Germaine-de-Tallevende, along with a village bar and pharmacy. Nearby at Roullours / Maisoncelles-la-Jourdan are the "Pont-es-Retour" waterfalls (right), classed as an "Area of Natural Ecological Interest, Flora and Fauna" in 1988. Here, the River Vire falls over an area characterised by a disorder of granite in which fauna develops in excellent conditions. La Martinière is also a stone's throw from the Dolmen at Mont-Savarin (Mount Savarin), a table-shaped megalith made from Vire granite. Within the Bocage, megalithic monuments were surrounded by myth and suspicion: supernatural visions, ghost-stories, sorcery ...

The location is quite central to both the Calvados and Manche coastlines, it's a very easy distance from the ferry ports and superb for exploring much of Normandy, with lots to do nearby. Families are well served by a huge water park at Vire with indoor and outdoor slides as well as a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi.

Saint Sever's Crown Forest (left) contains mostly beech and oaks, together with comb-shaped firs and the Douglas pines. It has an arboretum and wildlife park (stags, does, fawns in 4ha) and is perfect for walking and horse-riding. The peaceful Lake Le Gast nature reserve (below) is not far and is a firm favourite.

Lake Dathée, just outside Vire, offers wonderful lakeside walks, boating, sailing, windsurfing, fishing and a modestly priced but excellent golf course overlooking the lake.

A day trip to the D-Day landing beaches is something to remember forever, and the house is also within easy day-trip distance of the Mont St Michel. The glamorous beach resort of Granville is well worth a visit, where there is also a regular erry service to Jersey.

Town culture, restaurants & theatre, retail therapy, markets

La Martinière is close to the bustling town of Vire, which offers something for everyone. It has a superb modern theatre, cinema, stylish cafés, nightlife, and some lovely shops, satisfying your need for culture and/or retail therapy! Vire is also something of a mecca for food-lovers with a weekly gourmet food market on Fridays which is a pilgrimage for foodies, with local fish, seafood, cheese, cream, charcuterie, bread, fruit and vegetables and the most wonderful stall with olives and spices. Vire has an impressive number of fêtes and festivals culminating in several weeks of street theatre and concerts during the summer months.

Not far away is the traditional market town of Villedieu-les-Poêlles (meaning City of God's Frying Pans), with its medieval alleys and ancient courtyards. Renowned for copper pans, and bursting with character and history, it has an enormous weekly market on Tuesdays where you can buy almost anything.

Local markets

Monday - Torigni-sur-Vire, Tinchebray

Tuesday - Ducey, Hambye, Caen, Sourdeval, Alencon

Wednesday - Conde-sure-Vire, Tessy-sur-Vire, Lisieux

Thursday - Beny-Bocage, Conde-sure-Noireau, Alencon

Friday - Vire, Brecey, Falaise, Domfront

Saturday - St. Lo, Avranches, Bayeux, Domfront, Lisieux

Sun - Barenton

PRICES

La Martinière is available for weekend, weekly holidays and longer-term rentals at competitive prices. Please contact us with your requirements. As a guide:

Up to 8 persons plus a baby or small child (cot or camp-bed)

Peak seasons £695 per week

Mid seasons £595 per week

Low seasons £495 per week

Up to 4 persons plus a baby or small child (cot or camp-bed)

Mid seasons £395

Low seasons £295

Short breaks - low and mid seasons only, 20% off the weekly price for 3 nights, 30% off for 2 nights