Saint-Omer area holiday farmhouse "Bambecq Farmhouse"

The first view of the grounds, house and chateau are simply stunning as you drive over the bridge. The welcome from Linda was warm and the pack of provisions well thought out and we loved the fact that it included eggs from the ducks we admired outside and milk from the nearby farm.

The house is charming and full of character. As mentioned before, it isn't full of modern conveniences like a TV and DVD player but with so much to explore around the grounds and the games and puzzles provided we were more than entertained. There is a stove top, microwave and even a small dishwasher if required but with a husband who doesn't mind the wet work our family of five found we could cook anything from pasta to a cassoulet without any problems and leave the washing up to him! With any old house creaks and idiosyncracies go hand in hand with the character you pay for and to my mind only add to the holiday feeling. A modern interior would very much be at odds with the promise given by the exterior. The house was very comfortable and made us feel at home.

The grounds which you have the full run of are so beautiful and in my opinion not enough was made of them in the advertisement. We went boating on the lake every day, played on the swings, visited the ducks, cats and birds (they have an amazing bird house) and wandered round the forest listening to the wildlife. It couldn't have been more idyllic! Francis was a star attraction and excellent with the children, being pleased to show them Belle the dog and even demonstrate her obedience training. He also took them to the bird house and showed them all the eggs the various cockatoos, budgies and quails were sitting on. We often saw him out and about feeding the cats or tending to the forest.

The weather was definitely on our side and we loved the surrounding so much that one day rather than go out we just chilled outside eating bread, cheese and pate and wandering around the grounds. It felt very safe for the children to play outside although of course you need to take account of the lake. It is however far enough away from the house that they can have a good ramble and there if plenty of room for board games and even the odd water pistol fight between the children without danger of the adults coming under fire....unless they want to be.

I would thoroughly recommend it to my friends especially those with children although my mother who came with us loved the peace of the surroundings as well.