Luxury 18th Century Chambres d'Hôtes

Les Hirondelles details

Home description

Set in five acres at the heart of the tranquil village of Hemevez, only 25 minutes from the Cherbourg ferry and surrounded by lovely rolling countryside, "Les Hirondelles" is perfect for a luxury holiday or weekend break all year round and a delightful stopover for those traveling further south. An 18th Century former farmhouse, it is now fully restored and renovated to a high standard, with spacious bedroom suites overlooking secluded gardens and terraces. 

Part of the property, completely self contained, is also available, on a weekly basis, for guests who wish to self cater, from £450 per week.   

Bedrooms and bathrooms

Bath and bed linens are of the highest quality - some embroidered cottons from Vietnam and Brazil; others heavy linens from Belgium and France and for the warmer months, fine percales from the USA and UK. Duvets are of wool or goose down and pillows mainly down or feather, although we can offer alternatives to those who prefer man made fibre. Blankets are also available.

All bedrooms and bathrooms are carpeted and have rugs for greater comfort.

The owners like to treat their guests as if they are friends enjoying a private house party - with a great warm welcome but a respect for privacy and the opportunity to find a quiet corner in the garden or the well appointed sitting rooms. There are log fires in winter and the thick walls make the house a cool retreat in the heat of high summer.

The sitting rooms

Guests have the use of several sitting rooms, all furnished differently.

• The Garden Room - An intimate summer room with a wood burner for the cooler evenings and access to the terrace where you will enjoy an aperitif or a cup of afternoon tea.
• The Small Salon - Deep leather chairs and sofa before a wood burning fire and a cosy ambiance with paintings collected by the owners from around South East Asia, English/US television, a sound system and a library of tapes videos, games and books. Access to the barbeque terrace and dining room.
• The Grand Salon - Again with a wood burning fire, this lovely sunny room is furnished in English country house style with family owned antiques, sofas and comfortable armchairs. Ideal for enjoying that after dinner coffee and digestif.

Dining outdoors

A sheltered barbecue and dining terrace with seating for 12 leads onto lawns and herbaceous borders. It is surrounded by low stone walls topped with potted lavenders and geraniums and bordered by a wisteria draped wall and rose arbour Facing west, it is a perfect place to enjoy a bottle of wine on those long summer evenings.

Dining indoors

The dining room is the place for candlelit dinners both summer and winter and for breakfast in inclement weather. A large table seats ten and the room features a collection of old pewter.

The kitchen

Large and country style, the kitchen is the heart of the house and for those who prefer a more casual approach, it is possible to gather round the long pine table and eat "en famille". The kitchen opens onto the terrace through french doors.

The gardens

The gardens comprise an acre of lawn, surrounded by high evergreen walls of hedging with shady trees and plenty of seating, a four acre field and a small orchard and potager.
Wide herbaceous borders are filled with perennials and flowering shrubs and there is a rose garden for quiet contemplation. Countless birds nest in the conifers and laurels and the vegetable garden provides seasonal vegetables, fruit and salads for the table. The garden is also the domain of the four snail catchers (the owners ducks, Jemima, Jane, Jenny and Jo) and their egg producers (Henny, Penny, Pip and Squeak) with Sebastian, their lord and master.

The animals

Look over the picket gates into the grassy, blackberry lined lane and you will find the owners donkeys, Chloe and Annabel, waiting for a carrot or a sugar lump and you are sure of a great welcome from the dogs (2 gordon setters and a golden retriever) and the resident mouse controllers, Henry and Harriet.

The food

The owners offer generous farmhouse or continental breakfasts, with crusty breads, buttery croissants, delicious jams and conserves, home grown fruit, fresh juices and eggs and lashings of tea, coffee, tisanes or chocolate.

Demi pension (Dinner bed and Breakfast) is available, with a Table d'Hôte and occasional dinners, special celebrations and picnic baskets on request. The owners use only fresh local produce, much of it from their own garden; the rest from neighbouring farms. All their jams, conserves and chutneys are home made; the eggs come from their free range hens and they are happy to accommodate special diets or preferences.

The owners pride themselves on their Table d'Hôte. Naturally you will find the traditional dishes of Normandy here but the cuisine also includes a mixture of French, English and Asian food. Diana has lived and cooked extensively in South East Asia, Australia, the US and the UK and most recently ran a 4 star B & B and guest house in Suffolk, after retiring from a busy working life as an international lawyer and sometime theatre administrator.

So...

"Let us pamper you a little - come visit us when it's time for a break from the ordinary or the stressful and enjoy this lovely part of northern France, with its patch eyed cows, verdant apple orchards; its hedgerows teeming with wildlife; its uncrowded shorelines and wonderful food.

You can be assured of the warmest of welcomes and we hope that, once you have visited us, you will, like the swallows, return!"

External features on site

• Garden
• Scenic views
• Barbecue

Accommodation detail

Set in five acres at the heart of the tranquil village of Hemevez, only 25 minutes from the Cherbourg ferry and surrounded by lovely rolling countryside, "Les Hirondelles" is perfect for a luxury holiday or weekend break for families and groups all year round and a delightful stopover for those travelling further south.

"Les Hirondelles" offers 4 Chambres d'Hotes sleeping up to 11 and it can accommodate couples as well as families or groups of younger people. Please check rooms for the detailed description of their facilities.

About the location

Hemevez is 6 kms from the attractive town of Valognes, dubbed "the Versailles of Normandie" and a centre for music and the arts.It is on the main train route from Paris (St.Lazarre) to Cherbourg. Valognes has good restaurants and shops, a swimming pool, a cinema and a Friday market. The village itself is a small rural community of about 150 set around a small river-very tranquil and conducive to relaxation and easy sleep.

The D Day landing sites, with their nostalgic history and beautifully curated museums and memorials are nearby and it is only a short drive to the great cathedral cities of Bayeux, with its famous tapestry; Coutances, which has fine shopping and wonderful public gardens and Caen, a modern town but with two great 11th century abbey churches built by William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda. Everyone knows about Mont St. Michel - the most visited site in France! It is very crowded in summer but early or later in the year it is an atmospheric, sometimes even eerie experience to climb to the summit when it is shrouded in mist or listen to the monks singing at midday in the Romansque church.

For gardeners, Normandy is a paradise. There are over 60 parks and gardens open to the public, many of which surround fine chateaux and manor houses and in autumn the forests are ablaze with colour. The countryside is also perfect for walking, cycling, fishing, bird watching horse riding, sailing and other outdoor pursuits.

Normandy is also renowned as a horse breeding area and you can visit one of Frances most famous centres, the Haras du Pin, known as a "horses Versailles" because of its grandeur and 17th century architecture. Horse shows, dressage events and tours take place throughout the year.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities nearby

Cycling, Sightseeing, Swimming, Walking, Shopping, Fishing, Horse riding, Gourmet dining

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

Directions from Cherbourg to Hemevez

• From the ferry port at Cherbourg take the road to CAEN/RENNES/MONT ST MICHEL (N 13).
• Turn off to the right at the D2 turnoff which is about 25 minutes drive from Cherbourg. This is about 3km past the Valognes turnoff. Do not take the Valognes turnoff. The D2 turnoff is well marked. The turnoff is the short connecting road to the D2. Turn right into the D2 at the next intersection.
• At about 100 metres up a slight hill turn off to the left on to the Pont l'Abbé road (D 24).
  Follow this road for about 5km and turn left to Hemevez (D271). Be careful of on-coming traffic in a right hand drive car at this turnoff as visibility is restricted.
• The D 271 is a very narrow road.
• After about 300 metres, Les Hirondelles, a three story grey stone house with blue shutters is on the right.
• The entrance is through white gates in a grey stone wall.

Directions from Ouistreham to Hemevez

• From the ferry port at Ouistreham take the D514 road to the Caen ring road. At the ring road, N814, turn right and stay on the ring road until you reach turn off 8 which is marked to BAYEUX and/or Cherbourg. This is the N13.
• Stay on the N13 until you reach the Valognes turn off. Take this turnoff and drive about a kilometre when you will see a turnoff to the left marked to St Sauveur. Le Vicomte.  This road goes off at a reflex angle to your direction of motion so be careful not to miss it. It you do miss it you will arrive in Valognes in which case you will need to about turn.
• The St. Sauveur road is the D2. Stay on this road, pass the Inter Marché supermarket on the right and continue until you go under a road bridge, then up a slight incline you will see on the left a road marked to Pont l'Abbé. This is the D24; take this road.
• Follow the D24 for about 5km and turn left to Hemevez (D271). Be careful of on-coming traffic in a right hand drive car at this turnoff as visibility is restricted.
• The D 271 is a very narrow road.
• After about 300 metres Les Hirondelles, a three story grey stone former farmhouse with blue shutters, is on the right.
• The entrance is through white gates in a grey stone wall.

Have a safe trip, we look forward to seeing you.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.