Farmhouse in Calvados, France

La Demeure details

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Domaine de la Hamberie

Twin bedroom in Gite la Demeure

Morgan Club at la Hamberie

By the big barn

Home description

Domaine de La Hamberie is a renovated Normandy farmstead. In the grounds of this traditional 17th century farm we can cater for the needs of a variety of family holidays with 4 self-catering  stone cottages, each fully equipped and with private gardens and patios. In addition our gite "La Demeure" is a superb farmhouse with 6 en-suite bedrooms and can accommodate up to 14 people.

Please note that 3 of our properties are fully wheelchair accessible and we have 20 year's experience in welcoming guests with special needs.

There are indoor and outdoor play facilities and a solar heated swimming pool in a safe and picturesque setting and the area is well provided with sport and leisure opportunities.

Falaise is the birth place of William the Conqueror, and the castle has a newly renovated reception for tourists. The Bayeux Tapestry is also well worth a visit, charting the events of William's invasion and untimely demise of Harold the Great.

No visit to Calvados would be compete without a trip to the Normandy Landing Beaches. The site where "Operation Overlord", the liberation of Northwest Europe, began is a moving tour for young and old alike. The cemeteries, where the honoured dead of all nations lie, are immaculately maintained and provide an experience never to be forgotten.

Retail therapy and gastronomic delights

There are shops abound in Calvados, and Caen has a Hyper-Market called Monde-ville 2, which will just about have anything you could possibly want, but clothes shops seem to be a speciality.

For food, the area can't be beaten.  Camembert is the local cheese, with Cider and Calvados the drinks of the region. Crepes - savoury or sweet pancakes - are also a speciality, and highly recommended.

The Patisseries, Creperies and Restaurants in Falaise are friendly and superb. With over 20 great places to eat in the local town, and almost all carefully vetted by your hosts, finding somewhere to eat to accommodate everyone's taste will not be a problem.

Accommodation detail

Gite la Demeure

The salon in la Demeure

The kitchen in la Demeure

The stone staircase in la Demeure

La Demeure in springtime

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La Demeure is the main farmhouse, probably completed around 1770 and as such is the newest building on the farm.

This magnificent building retains all its original features whilst offering six en-suite bedrooms with a total of 14 to 15 beds. French doors lead from the salon direct to the private garden and patio equipped with barbecue and garden furniture.  

Ground Floor:

This floor is paved throughout in Caen Stone and features a fully equipped kitchen and large living/dining room and a beautiful salon.

• Large entrance hall and elegant stone staircase.
• Kitchen/dining/living room: fully equipped kitchen with fridge freezer, dishwasher, large gas cooker, microwave, toaster, iron, kettle, coffee maker, crockery, tableware, cooking utensils, glassware, cutlery and all basic essentials. Can seat 15 at the large kitchen table. There is a wood burning fire in the original fireplace. 
• Large salon/ sitting room: carefully restored and decorated in the colours and the styles of its period also has a wood burning fire in its carved stone fireplace. 

First Floor:

• Landing
• Bedroom 1: double bed, en-suite with shower and WC
• Bedroom 2: twin beds with room for third bed, en-suite with shower and WC
• Bedrooms 3 & 4 Private family suite: of two twin bedrooms and a bathroom which is en-suite between both rooms. One of these bedrooms can accommodate a third bed.

Second Floor:

All original oak beams are exposed

• Bedroom 5: double bedroom en-suite, bath with shower and WC (can take a third bed)
• Bedroom 6: twin bedroom en-suite, bath with shower and WC
• Lounge area

Fully centrally heated throughout

Outside

The private garden and patio are accessed from the salon via French windows.

About the location

Domaine de la Hamberie is situated just outside the village of Fresne la Mere. The setting is mainly farmland most of which is arable but there are cattle and sheep, and especially horses, reared in the area. This is excellent walking and cycling country with many way marked and published tracks through delightful villages and forested hills.

British tourists used to drive straight through Normandy heading to the South of France but not since they learned about the beaches; the thousand years of history from the Conqueror to the Invasion; the cream, calvados, cheese and cider; the chateaux, their parks and gardens.

At la Hamberie we have 5 self-catering gites , 3 of which are wheelchair accessible. They are all renovated farm buildings and are clustered around the central green with access to the nearby heated swimming pool.

The nearby town of Falaise is the birthplace of William the Conqueror and is dominated by his castle. It is a delightful mixture of the ancient and the modern and boasts some of the best restaurants in Normandy.

Then there are the cities of Rouen, Caen and Rennes and the market towns; Monte St Michel, the Bayeux Tapestry, the Memorial to Peace in Caen, Monet's Garden, the National Stud and the horse racing at Deauville and the new Museum at Pegasus Bridge; the ports of Honfleur, Ouistreham, and Port en Bessin; the heart rending story of the 1944 Battle of Normandy told in so many monuments, museums and cemeteries.

This is an ideal family holiday base. Only 40 minutes drive from the supurb beaches but also within easy reach of excellent walking and cycling country, and such attractions as Festyland, go-karts, canooing, bungee jumping and tree walking, golf, pony and horse riding, and much more. Add to this the attraction of la Hamberie itself with the heated pool and the excellent play barn and extensive grounds.

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

Activities near by

Adventure park, Ballooning, Bird Watching, Boules, Canoeing, Cycling, Fishing, Flying, Go karting, Golf, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Rambling, Riverside activities, Rock climbing, Shopping, Sightseeing, Surfing, Swimming, Table tennis, Tennis, Theme parks, Tree adventure park, Walking, Water sports, Wine tasting, Wine touring

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

How to get here

• Domaine de la Hamberie is easily accessible from the major ferry ports, just 45 minutes drive from Caen (Ouistreham) and 4 and a half hours from Calais.
• The fast boat from Dover to Boulogne leaves three and a half hours' driving.
• Le Havre and Dieppe are one and two hours away.
• On the western side, Cherbourg is two hours drive and St Malo just a little more. The roads are excellent.
• Many clients fly to Charles de Gaulle airport and hire a car for the duration of their holiday.
• All our client can access discounted ferry prices, please contact us for details.

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