Our beautifully renovated farmhouse, and 3 adjoining cottages, plus shared family heated swimming pool (open from mid May till end September), enjoy a secluded 3 acre garden, edged by a stream and woodland.
Les Hiboux: https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p11212872?adultsCount=2&childrenCount=2&noDates=true&petIncluded=true&uni_id=6254185
Le Petit Renard: https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p10093447?adultsCount=2&childrenCount=2&noDates=true&petIncluded=true&uni_id=5156889
L'Equirreuil Roux: https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/p11343440?adultsCount=2&arrival=2023-07-13&childrenCount=2&departure=2023-07-16&petIncluded=true&uni_id=6385209
2hrs from Roscoff, 3hrs from St Malo and 45mins from Brest airport, our gites are located in an idyllic part of Finistere.
The varied coastline of sandy beaches, rockpools, craggy cliffs and secluded coves is just a 10 min drive away. Still unspoilt, and far less built up than many other parts of Brittany, our beautiful, family friendly, yet relatively undiscovered beaches, are a rare find. We feel privileged to be able to offer holiday accommodation in this wonderful and special area.
The buildings have been renovated by ourselves, maintaining as many original features as possible, such as the beautiful beams, and exposed stonework. We have designed, built and decorated all of the buildings ourselves, scouring antique markets for the perfect pieces to bring back and restore, and reclaiming and incorporating as much of the original fabric and character of the buildings as we can. Our guests love the attention to detail and the friendly, homely feel of our cottages, which they tell us is second to none. We completed The Farmhouse and Les Hiboux in 2015, and Le Petit Renard in 2018.
The Farmhouse:
Built in the mid 19th century, our renovation was completed in 2015. In 2020 we have added a sunroom to the front of the building with seating areas and have improved the private garden, which has a gravelled area for eating (table and chairs seating 6), a bbq, comfortable seating for four people plus two sunloungers. The lawn is around 16x30m with flowerbeds and a small fence making sure privacy will not be a problem. It does, however, look onto the larger garden and trees and has easy access to the play area via a wooden gate.
Inside the house, downstairs living is open plan and retains the original oak beams, traditional breton staircase and inglenook fireplace. We have installed a large kitchen unit for cooking plus a large utility room keeps storage, coats and utilities discreetly out of the way. This utility room leads directly into the back garden. The kitchen and utility area is modern and fully equipped with induction hob, electric cooker, double butler sink, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, separate fridge and freezer, second sink for washing machine and tumble dryer. To make packing easier, we leave a supply of oil, salt, pepper, herbs, sugar, foil, cling film, cleaning product etc.
The dining area seats 6 easily around the original farm table which we found and restored. A classic wood burning rayburn creates the country feel, although it is not used during the summer months as it would warm the house too much!
In the living room there is comfortable seating for six, a beautiful woodburning stove (wood is supplied free of charge) and access the the private garden through a glass door. Books, DVDs, puzzles, TV (in french and English) plus a personalised toy box for kids mean you will have plenty to do indoors.
Upstairs are three bedrooms. There are two double rooms and one twin. All contain restored and painted antique furniture and have oak beam ceilings and the original wooden floors. They overlook the courtyard, which has pretty flowerbeds and seating areas. The bathroom contains a large porcelain topped sink and a bath with shower attachment and glass partition. High quality bedding, blankets and towels are all provided and beds are made on arrival.
Throughout the house, hand painted antique furniture and original artwork give it a homely and unique feel.
The Pool:
The heated swimming pool is available from mid May till end September. It is housed inside the walls of the beautiful roofless coach-house, across the courtyard from the gites. Our pool is 8 x 4 m with no shallow end, which gives plenty of room to either swim laps or play games. We heat it to 28 degrees during summer, regardless of the weather. This keeps it warm enough for the smallest of toddlers to use, even when our Brittany weather is not at its best! The poolside is decked, with sunloungers, and the pool adheres to current safety regulations. Outside the coach-house is a table tennis and swing ball area. The pool can be used at any time of day, and we have found it the perfect place for the kids to get to know one another while parents enjoy some downtime. Towels are provided.
The courtyard & parking:
Our stone buildings form a circle which encloses the pretty, gravelled courtyard, making it very secure and private. Parking is kept at the far end, past the swimming pool, so we have been able to create a stunning area of raised flower beds and seating between the renovated cottages (currently we have no photos of this project, which is new) where the suntrap continues well into the evening.
The garden:
In the garden the swings, trampoline, badminton, swingball, football nets, soft archery, table tennis and other play equipment will keep your kids busy, plus some small kids' bikes. Les Hiboux and Le Petit Renard each has its own private garden and eating/barbecue area secured by an attractive low fence,low stone wall and flowerbeds, overlooking the grassy play lawn so you can enjoy a glass of wine in comfort while supervising the kids. The Farmhouse has a large private, fenced garden area separated from the main garden, making it safe for small kids and giving extra privacy, whilst at the same time the play lawn is visible from the garden.
Entertainment:
If you have children, we provide personalised toyboxes for them, plus each cottage has board games, books, DVDs, TV in English and French and an excellent Wifi connection.
Kitchen supplies:
Our kitchens come fully equipped with oven, dishwasher, washing machines, microwaves, toasters, coffeemakers etc. We leave some basic kitchen supplies such as washing powder, washing liquid, sponges, cling film, tea/coffee, salt/pepper, oil and, during high season, a welcome pack including fresh milk, bread, croissants and other goodies so that you can relax with a cuppa before unpacking, or have a breakfast of croissants and cereals next day without having to worry about shopping enroute. If you arrive late, just let us know what you need and we can pop to the supermarket for you!
For the kids/babies:
We love having kids to stay and have tried to make packing as easy for you as possible, providing baby baths, changing mats, travel cots with comfy mattresses and blankets, plates/cups etc, booster seats and highchairs. Let us know if there is anything particular you need and we will do our best to accommodate you.
We have travel cots on hand with cosy mattresses and blankets, and use high quality mattress protectors for your peace of mind.
Other things we provide:
We also provide plenty of towels and high quality bed linen at no extra cost and, of course, bathroom supplies such as loo rolls and hand soap.
We live all year on site so we can answer any queries and provide advice and recommendations about the area. If you like, we can make your vet, or, if necessary, doctor appointments, and can even book a restaurant table for you if you are not confident in using the french language.
Our hamlet:
Our complex is part of a tiny hamlet called Leskobet, proud guardians of the St Corentin Chapel, which is a local pilgrimage site and connects to a network of walking routes leading to majestic views at the Menez Hom, highest point in Finistere. The mythical stream of St Corentin runs through our garden and feeds eventually into the Odet River at Quimper.
Our village:
Our local village, Plomodiern, has splendid sea views, a supermarket, tourist office, several restaurants and bakeries, a takeaway pizzeria/creperie and a bustling market each Friday. It is also host to the annual Fete De Menez Hom in August, when locals dressed in Breton costumes parade through the streets together with Breton dancers from all of the regions of Brittany. During summer a Fest Noz is held every Monday night, when all are welcome to join with the locals, trying out these special Breton dances (or just watching of course!).
Local beaches:
A ten minute drive away, are a number of sandy beaches, for swimming, surfing, or sand buggying. All are unspoilt, backed by dunes and cliff paths. We will provide you with beach towels for your daytrips.
Other attractions:
Equally accessible is the stunning historic town of Locronan, often used in filmsets, and the canal town of Chateaulin, with cycle tracks along the banks of the beautiful Brest-Nantes canal. Within half an hour, you can visit the facilities of the historic town of Quimper, the fishing port of Duarnenez, or the unspoilt Crozon peninsular with its pleasure beaches and cafes. Further afield it is easy to reach the more touristic beaches of Southern or Northern Finistere, simply take your pick. Or explore the countryside inland. Feel free to ask us for recommendations regarding the many museums, beaches, national parks or attractions nearby.
For the sporty, there is swimming, surfing, and paddle boarding at the nearby beaches, also kite buggys, diving and kayaking are available at Pentrez or Crozon. Cyclists can enjoy the canal paths at the Brest/Nantes canal or the Foret du Nevet at Locronan, and there are tennis courts in the village, a swimming pool at Chateaulin, a kayaking school on the canal, hiking paths, climbing crags and paragliding.
