Delightful old farmhouse and spacious garden

The house is a traditional Normandy longhouse, made of granite, wood and tile. There are 185 square meters of indoor space. The farmhouse has been sensitively restored using traditional materials. La Pichardiere sits in the heart of the Normandy countryside far away from busy traffic in a secluded two acre garden set in a corner of a regional park (equivalent to a National Park in UK) -- It is a place to escape from city life! I love its peacefulness and the presence of the natural world. La Pichardiere respects the past by remaining rustic and rural but has modern amenities. The house has underfloor heating downstairs (radiators upstairs) with a large log burning stove for cosy winter evenings. For the warmer weather outside there are sun loungers, tables, chairs, sun-umbrella and a hammock for your use. The two acre garden has many trees (including one Spanish chestnut with a trunk circumference of six meters). There is plenty of open sunny lawn area and woodland paths for children to explore in safety. The whole house (except the store room next to the kitchen) and the whole of the outside space is accessible to the guests. A 400 meter long circular path runs around the garden near the perimeter. I will phone to check that everything is ok after your arrival. I am always available by phone or email if you need any help or information during your stay. The farmhouse is situated in the country in a lightly wooded rural area away from traffic and busy roads. The nearest town La Ferte Mace is a 10 minute drive with free parking (near the big church) for easy access to the town centre. There are three supermarkets in La Ferte Mace and a couple of good eating places however there is a wealth of choice for excellent restaurants to be found a few kilometers further south-west at Bagnoles De l'Orne. A free public bathing lido with a sandy beach is situated to the northwest of the town of La Ferte Mace and an indoor swimming pool is to be found by the college not far from the town centre. There is trout fishing locally (20 Euros per day) and several riding schools both for youngsters and adults nearby. A vehicle is necessary to get around and there is adequate parking space on site for several cars. There are a couple of bicycles for your use in the utility room. Please note that despite our very best efforts the farmhouse does not receive perfect internet connection. It is usually fine for normal business and social interaction but not it seems for heavier duty use such as film streaming. TV is in English. The farmhouse has no paved path to the front door, so in the winter, boots are a good idea and slippers for inside the house. If the weather has been very wet in the winter, the courtyard sometimes gets a bit soft underfoot and then it is best to park your car on the entrance drive or next to the slate roofed barn where the ground is hard. The washing machine and dryer are housed in the boiler room to the north of the building. Just a suggestion: Unless you are going out to a restaurant or arriving early, it's a good idea to bring or buy some food for the first evening since this saves having to go out again to the stores.