About us
We bought La Vieille Ferme (The Old Farmhouse) in 2016, after travelling the length and breadth of Brittany looking for our dream home. We fell in love with it the moment we stepped out of the car, and five months later, and after a 15 hour car journey, with our two very vocal cats, we moved in.
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The property had been partially renovated when we acquired it, and we continued the renovation, finishing Le grenier (The granary) in June 2017, and La petite grange (The little barn) in January 2019 We are just putting the finishing touches to our middle property, L’etable (The stable), which will be open Spring 2020. We will be running this as a gîte / Chambre d’hôtes/B&B giving us the flexibility to allow groups of families and friends to book the whole complex, up to 14 people. The previous owner, who has now become a good friend, has kindly given us some old photographs of how it looked before the renovation started – some of these can be seen in the gîtes.
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As the place was an old cattle farm, there was very little aesthetic planting, so during the winter months we have planted dozens of trees, hundreds of hedging plants, flowering shrubs and bulbs. We leave parts of the fields uncut to encourage wildflowers and wildlife. We cut pathways through the fields, to allow our guests to enjoy exploring them. The paths connect to our 4 acre woodland, which also has a circular walk.
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There are also lots of bat and bird boxes we have put up around the place, in an effort to encourage even more wild life. We have identified over 60 different species of birds here, and we have been really lucky to see some rarer birds, including hoopoes, hen harriers, cuckoos, barn owls, stonechats, and nightjars. Then of course there are the fabulous swallowtail, clouded yellow, fritillary and skipper butterflies, to name a few. We also have regular visits to the fields and woodland from roe deer and wild boar, red squirrels, polecats and pine martens, and are quite often serenaded by the sound of tree frogs in the spring and early summer evenings.
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As you can tell, we are passionate about nature, and we would love you to come and explore this wonderful place, as well as discover the delights Brittany has to offer.
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Alan and Mandy Forbes
REVIEWS
Mr RG, Spain
Sitio espectacular para desconectar y recorrer la región, cerca de Petites Citès de Caractère y a menos de una hora de la costa. La casa es tal cual se ve en las fotos y los anfitriones son encantadores, nos lo han puesto todo muy fácil. Sin duda es un lugar para volver.Gracias a Mandy y su marido por su cercanÃa
Ms VC, Germany
Beautifully renovated stone house with modern facilities. Old and new make a very tasty whole and it's all there, everything the holidaymaker could desire. Alan and Mandy (the owners) have set up the house with great attention to detail, so that you felt completely comfortable. The owners received us warmly and were always available to answer questions during our stay. Monuments of Brittany were easily accessible in day trips. Because of the quiet location and the very comfortable and tasteful facilities - our stay was pure relaxation.
Mr RS, UK
Such an amazing place with great views and superb hosts. The rooms were tidy and well decorated with a kitchen with everything you would need. The location is more than perfect with convenience stores just down the road and several picturesque villages close by too. The locals are polite and most speak at least a little English but are also patient if you want to practice your French! Highly recommend for couples and families!
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Going green
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We use LED bulbs wherever possible, and recycle as much as we can. The gites all have a bin for plastic and metals, as well as household waste, plus we have a recycling point for cardboard/paper and glass.
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We have planted over five hundred trees and hedging plants since we arrived, and put up owl, bird and bat boxes. We also leave areas of our fields to go wild to encourage the butterflies and bees, as well as planting nectar-rich plants.
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For those of you with electric cars, there are chargers 2 minutes away in Ruffiac, as well as in several in nearby towns of Malestroit, La Gacilly, Guer and Ploermel, to name a few.
Sitio espectacular para desconectar y recorrer la región, cerca de Petites Citès de Caractère y a menos de una hora de la costa. La casa es tal cual se ve en las fotos y los anfitriones son encantadores, nos lo han puesto todo muy fácil. Sin duda es un lugar para volver.Gracias a Mandy y su marido por su cercanÃa
Mr RG
San Cristobel, Spain
Maison en pierre joliment rénovée avec des équipements modernes. Anciens et nouveaux font un ensemble très savoureux et c'est tout ce qu’il, tout ce que le vacancier peut désirer. Alan et Mandy (les propriétaires) ont mis en place la maison avec une grande attention aux détails, afin que vous vous êtes senti parfaitement à l’aise. Les propriétaires nous a accueillis chaleureusement et étaient toujours disponibles pour répondre aux questions pendant notre séjour. Monuments de la Bretagne étaient facilement accessibles dans les excursions d’une journée. En raison de l’emplacement tranquille et les installations très confortables et de bon goût - notre séjour a été de pure détente.
Ms VC
Munich, Allemagne
Un endroit extraordinaire avec une vue magnifique et hôtes superbes. Les chambres étaient bien rangé et bien décoré avec une cuisine avec tout ce dont vous auriez besoin. L’emplacement est plus que parfait avec dépanneurs juste en bas de la route et plusieurs villages pittoresques à proximité aussi. Les habitants sont polis et plus parlent au moins un peu anglais mais aussi patients si vous voulez pratiquer votre Français ! Recommande fortement pour les couples et les familles !
Mr RS
Oxfordshire, England
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LES DERNIÈRES CRITIQUES
Le virage vert
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Nous utilisons des ampoules LED partout où c'est possible et nous recyclons autant que possible. Les gîtes disposent tous d'une poubelle pour le plastique et les métaux, ainsi que pour les ordures ménagères et d'un point de recyclage pour le carton/papier et le verre.
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Depuis notre arrivée, nous avons planté plus de cinq cents arbres et haies et installé des nichoirs à hiboux, à oiseaux et à chauves-souris. Nous laissons aussi des zones de nos champs sauvages pour encourager les papillons et les abeilles, ainsi que pour planter des plantes riches en nectar.