The gite shares 2 acres of delightful Normandy countryside with ‘le vieux presbytere’, a 200 year old former presbytery. It is in a quiet and pretty lane next to the old church in a traditional Normandy village (population 170). Although secluded it is near a small village tabac, 1.5km from the next village which food shops and just 10 mins from Aumale and the borders of Picardie.
The gite dates back to the same period but has recently (2009) been completely renovated to an extremely high standard to offer a superb level of accommodation and comfort.
The kitchen is extremely well equipped with a top of the range stainless steel smeg gas cooker in addition to a full compliment of quality knives, cutlery, crockery and cookware. It is definitely a cook’s kitchen.We are passionate about our food and cooking and wanted to make the kitchen something we would be happy with. You won’t find blunt knives, ineffective cookers and broken crockery here.
There is a private rear garden/terrace (approx 5m x 10m) with beautiful views over the countryside and a gate that opens onto the garden of the main house that you are very welcome to use.
The gite terrace also has a table for six people and an efficient gas/charcoal barbecue that can be up to speed in 15 mins at the press of a button. There is outside lighting for late night summer dining al fresco.
The nearby town of Aumale has a fantastic outdoor swimming pool plus lovely bars, restaurants and individual food shops. Saturdays is market day, where you can see live chickens being sold. Blangy is another nearby town and has a big market on Sunday mornings.
Aumale is on the borders of Normandy and Picardie. Picardie has many notable places to visit. The Picardie coast is full of beautiful sandy beaches, shopping and dining in Amiens should not be missed, beautiful parks and gardens to visit, bike-riding, horse-riding and water sports, museums, and gothic cathedrals.
There are bicycles here for your use, we are situated on a plain, so local villages and forests are a very easy level ride. There are big swimming pools in the local towns. The Normandy countryside is genuinely stunning, mile upon mile of rolling hills and huge forests (watch out for the wild boar!) and for those so inclined we have some of the best fishing in Normandy. Fantastic trout and sea-trout fishing on La Bresle, a wonderful chalkstream river that flows from Aumale and enters the sea at Le Treport. Andy is very happy to point you in the right direction with concern to the fishing, being a mad keen fly fisher for wild trout! In fact, we are currently negotiating to buy the rights to our very own private trout lake set in a secluded woodland, fed by a chalkstream. We aim to put two boats on this and it will be available free to guests at the gite.
Picardie is a short drive by car and has many wonderful places to visit to keep all the family happy.
Watch this space!
Golf:
The jewel in the crown of the Opal Coast's golf courses are within a one hour drive of the gite at Le Touquet. Set within superb natural surroundings between the forests and the dunes Le Touquet golf club is one of the most beautiful of European sites. It has two 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course. Nearer to the gite there are also excellent golf courses at Dieppe, Abbeville and Evreux, all within a 30 mins drive.
Picardie is also described as a paradise for golfers. Golf de Chantilly, for example, is considered one of the five best clubs in all Europe. Its two 18-hole courses, putting and driving ranges and many other sporting activities are much appreciated by weekender Parisiens.
Other courses such as Golf de Saint-Quentin-Mesnil, Golf de Menneville (9-hole) Golf de Champagne and Golf de Val Secret are all near autoroutes (A 26 or A4), while at Bois du Tilleul, tucked away in the magnificent countryside of the Thiérache, you can enjoy 40 hectares of delightful gardens and water features belonging to the nearby château.
