Comfortable and characterful home

Welcome to our comfortable, historic home set in a tranquil heritage village in the heart of the Seven Valleys area of Northern France. The house occupies an elevated position in the village providing impressive views of the fifteenth century church of St Sulpice. Once a village inn, the interior retains many original features whilst benefitting from all modern comforts. Enjoy our peaceful garden with the sound of birdsong, and in the evening a gentle hoot from the owl who lives in the church. The space The Space Ground Floor On the ground floor the convivial open plan layout has a separate dining area and a sitting area for six people as well as an extra seating/reading area with a two seater sofa. The kitchen is very well equipped with a Bosch oven and grill, microwave, dishwasher, kettle, cafetieres, Brita water filter jug, a wide variety of cooking utensils and pots and pans, plus all cutlery, plates and glasses. Tea, coffee, cooking oil and spices are also included for your use. In addition to this on the ground floor, there is a shower room with shower, toilet and basin plus a washing machine, tumble dryer and clothes airer for your use during your stay. Tea towels, washable microfibre cleaning cloths and compostable washing up sponges are also included. Upstairs A wooden staircase leads to the first floor where there are three bedrooms and a bathroom. Bedroom one has twin beds which can be combined to make a Superking size mattress, on request. It also has a large wardrobe. The window here overlooks the garden to the side with views across the village. Bedroom two is a double room with a Velux window to the front. Bedroom three has a double bed, under bed storage, a closet area and Velux window to the front of the property. Bedrooms one and two both have DVD players. The beds are made up for your stay with comfortable bed linen, and extra pillows and blankets are available on request. A change of bed linen and towels is offered free of charge for longer stays. All windows are fitted with blackout blinds and each bedroom is equipped with an electric fan and UK adaptor plugs. The upstairs bathroom provides a bath with shower attachment, double sink unit and towel rail. Freshly laundered bed linen, bath towels and hand towels are included for each guest. Entertainment For your entertainment we have a TV (British Free sat) with DVD player, radio/CD player and a range of DVDs, CDs, books, board games and jigsaw puzzles. On our upstairs landing we have a collection of both novels and information books about France. Enjoy the latest French adventure from Celia Imrie or immerse yourself in French interior design! The house also has good mobile phone and data roaming coverage. Outside Adjacent to the kitchen there is a dining terrace with seating for six. Two sets of steps lead up through the terraced garden areas to a large lawn at the top from where you can enjoy extensive views across the village to the beautiful countryside beyond. The garden is incredibly peaceful with the sound of birdsong, and in the evening a gentle hoot from the owl who lives in the church. If you enjoy the dawn chorus this is the place for you, as the birds and local chickens announce the arrival of the day. You may also experience the occasional interested glance from our neighbouring cattle, munching peacefully on the grass in the next door field. Local goats have been known to take a cheeky wander along the front of the church, only to be caught and shoed home by their owner. Welcome Pack We are pleased to provide a welcome pack of French wine, bread, milk and jam, plus a hand-made lavender bag, made with our own lavender. Carbon Footprint and Keeping it Green Like you, we want to do everything possible to reduce our carbon footprint, minimise waste and to help our planet to stay beautiful! To encourage this a range of eco-friendly toiletries, toilet paper, dishwasher tablets, laundry pods, washing up liquid and cleaning materials are included for your stay. All with eco-friendly credentials. We also encourage our guests to use the clothes airer rather than the tumble dryer whenever possible. Please recycle as much as you can. There are boxes in the kitchen cupboard for glass and for other recyclable materials and we have a yellow bin outside on the drive for recycling. Glass items need to be recycled separately and this can be done at several points in the village. Please feel free to just leave your recycling in the boxes and we will happily take care of it for you if you prefer! The Local Area Our village provides a peaceful, rural environment yet is only a ten minute drive from the town of Hesdin with its lively Thursday morning market, UNESCO World Heritage Town Hall and sixteenth century church of Notre Dame. Hesdin has several supermarkets and pharmacies as well as independent shops, cafes, restaurants and an excellent boulangerie. The tourist office in Hesdin is packed with information about the local area and beyond and has an excellent website with weekly newsletter. The town has its own museum housed in the Town Hall, where regular art and photography exhibitions are also held throughout the year. On the outskirts of the town there is an excellent aquatic and bowling centre, with indoor and outdoor pools (in summer), sauna, hammam and gym, as well as a bowling centre in the same complex. The village itself provides many opportunities for walking and cycling, along the quiet roads and river banks. The beautiful and historic church of St Sulpice is open daily from 1st May to 30th September under the French “Open Churches” scheme and often hosts local history exhibitions. Eating Out The village benefits from two auberges, traditional country inns, serving French food. At the Auberge Des Oiseaux Chantants (Auberge of the Singing Birds) enjoy a drink in the beautiful garden before your meal. The traditional Estaminet L’Ame des 7 Valles (The Soul of the 7 Valleys) provides French food and takeaway pizza. Both auberges are within a very short walk of the house. In the nearby village of Wail there are trout lakes for those who might like to catch and barbeque their own dinner by the lakeside! In Hesdin the Belle Epoque Brasserie has an extensive menu and al fresco dining in summer. A fifteen minute drive from the house takes you to the historic town of Montreuil-sur-Mer where we recommend Brasserie Le Caveau, a traditional brasserie in the main town square, offering a wide range of French food, including traditional northern French dishes. Combine lunch or dinner with a walk on the city ramparts or a browse around the Saturday morning market. Days Out Slightly beyond the village we highly recommend a visit to the stunning, Baroque, Valloires Abbey with its story of the incredible bravery shown during WW2 by its previous occupants and its rich history dating back to the eighteenth century. The nearby Belval Abbey also provides an interesting history with guided tours including evening tours of the historic attics and nuns’ cells. The abbey has an interesting shop providing the opportunity to purchase traditionally made cheese, beer, apple juice and terrines produced by the Belval Abbey Association. With the Somme Valley within half an hour’s drive of the village there are ample opportunities to visit the many WW1 sites including the many cemeteries, memorials and museums. The Bay of the Somme and the town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme are well worth a visit. Take a ride on the historic steam train from Saint-Valery around the nature reserve to Le Crotoy and enjoy a boat trip out in to the bay itself. We welcome guests getting in touch to ask for our recommendations about things to do and see. Just tell us your interests and we will be delighted to share our local knowledge. We wish you a wonderful stay in this beautiful region of France!