Luxury Bed & Breakfast in Superb 13th Century Chateau

Papillon - Double room details

Home description

Chateau La Cour dates back to the 13th century and is the largest and oldest property hereabouts.  For many years it was an outpost of the Duc d’Harcourt.  Over a 5 year period, the property has been painstakingly restored, retaining many of the original features, but without compromising on comfort. It is ideally placed for visiting the landing beaches.

The house has been tastefully furnished with an eclectic selection of old and new.

• The bedrooms are very spacious and luxurious and offer everything to make your stay more comfortable
• Tea and coffee facilities are provided including good quality teas and coffee plus real fresh milk
• There is a sitting room for guests who wish to read or enjoy a relaxing pre dinner drink

“…even the hairdryer and the teas are superior”

A warm and relaxing atmosphere

All we can say is that we have always enjoyed meeting people and entertaining them and let the comments of our guests tell the rest.

"...we have stayed in many nice hotels and B&B's over the years, but never have felt so spoiled"

"I'll always remember these 2 days as the highlight of our vacation"

"Michael Winner should visit Chateau La Cour, he wouldn't find any faults"

Because guests numbers are limited, the owners can offer a really friendly and helpful service which is much appreciated by all the guests.

Savour La Cuisine Française

Good food and wine are an integral part of life in France and one of the main reasons the owners chose to live here!

Lesley is an accomplished cook who uses home grown produce and excellent ingredients from local farms and markets to create superb candlelit dinners.  These are served on English china, fine glassware and damask napkins.  The quality of the food and its presentation are what you would expect to find in a very good quality restaurant.

Typical Dinner Menu –  includes wine and mineral water

• Gratin of fresh fish on a bed of spinach
• Gigot of lamb served with a pommeau and foie gras jus, dauphinoise potatoes and a selection of seasonal vegetables from the garden
• A selection of French cheeses
• Raspberry pavlova with crème fraiche and a coulis of raspberries

Alternatively, informal suppers are available as a lighter option, and are ideal after a long journey.  The food and its prepartion is just as good, only the style, ambience and number of courses are different. 

Typical Supper Menu – includes wine and mineral water

• A salad of broad beans, pine nuts and bacon with pesto dressing
• Chicken tarragon served with a timbale of rice and seasonal vegetables from the garden
• Apple and calvados pancakes with crème fraiche

“What a superb home, but what a gastronomic treat”

A Kitchen Garden – French Style

David is an experienced and enthusiatic gardener who grows over 50 types of vegetables in his potager.  During the summer, you are most likely to find him in the walled kitchen garden that not only supplies wonderfully fresh vegetables but also salads, herbs and fruits.  Raspberries freshly picked from the garden for breakfast are just one of the many seasonal treats.  Or in autumn – perhaps wild mushrooms from the local woods.

Included in the kitchen garden are obelisks, raised beds, standard roses and lots of decorative vegetables, very much in the style of traditional French potagers.

“I’ll never forget the wonderful tiny carrots from the garden”

The most recent addtions are a small flock of free range chickens that provide wonderful eggs for Lesley’s crème brulee and pavlova.

The garden is also an excellent place to sit, relax and watch some of the wild birds the have also made Chateau La Cour their home.  Watch the kestrels that nest in a hole to the left of the front door.  Follow the comings and goings of the house martins and the swallows, busily raising their young.  Sit patiently in the garden as dusk approaches, and perhaps see the barn owls that nest in an ancient pigeonnier set high in the east wall of the house.

Internal Facilities:

• Broadband Internet access

Organised Activities:

• Escorted tours of the landing beaches
• Guided walks in the Suisse Normande
• Horse Riding

External features on site

• Garden

• The attractive garden features a traditional French Potager

Accommodation detail

This spacious and strikingly decorated bedroom and bathroom offer everything to make your stay a comfortable and relaxing one. In the bedroom there is a king size bed plus comfortable chairs and a sofa where you can sit and relax. Your own staircase leads to a large and luxurious bathroom featuring a bathtub (with shower facilities), a hand basin, a bidet and a separate W.C. There is a window seat where you can sit and watch the nesting house martins. In addition to a built in wardrobe this suite also has a further luggage/clothes closet.

About the location

Things to See and Do

The Suisse Normande is an attractive area of hills, rivers and wooded valleys. It offers a wide range of outdoor activities for the energetic, including walking, cycling and canoeing. There are also a number of excellent golf courses available locally, as well as many interesting chateaux and gardens to visit.

It is also an ideal base for exploring the Normandy coast and its diverse attractions. Visit the D-day landing beaches – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. See the Bayeux tapestry – the story of a very different Norman invasion. Enjoy the more sophisticated pleasures that Deauville and Honfleur can offer. Or just soak up the atmosphere of one of the many local markets that take place daily.

For those who wish to explore further afield, the excellent French autoroutes make this eminently possible. Monet’s garden, the medieval city of Rouen and Mont St Michel can all be visited in a day. The horse racing at Deauville during August is a revelation. The quality of racing is high, the on course facilities are first class, and the entry fee to everywhere on the course is very reasonable

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

Activities nearby

Canoeing, Cycling, Golf, Sightseeing, Walking

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

How to get here

Cross Channel Ferries
Portsmouth – Ouistreham by Brittany Ferries, 45 minutes drive to Chateau La Cour
Portsmouth – Le Havre by Brittany Ferries, 1 hour 45 minutes drive to Chateau La Cour
Portsmouth – Cherbourg by Brittany Ferries, 1 hour 45 minutes drive to Chateau La Cour
Newhaven – Dieppe by Sealink, 2 hours 30 minutes drive to Chateau La Cour
Dover – Boulogne by Speed Ferries, 3 hours 30minutes drive to Chateau La Cour
Dover – Calais by various operators, 3 hours 30 minutes drive to Chateau La Cour

Euro Tunnel
Folkstone – Calais, 3 hours 30 minutes drive to Chateau La Cour

Flights
Stansted – Dinard by Ryanair, 1 hour 45 minutes drive to Chateau La Cour

Chateau La Cour is approximately 2 hours by car from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport

From Caen or from the south, travel on the D562.  At Pont de la Mousse, 5kms south of Thury Harcourt, take the D133 for Culey le Patry over the River Orne.  Turn left onto the D166 then take the third right onto the D211.  Chateau La Cour is on the right, on the approach to the village, just after a minor road to the right.

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