Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Holidays in France are largely about enjoying the culture of another country and both we and the hospitable French owners promote this in every way we can. These owners are keen for the rural community to thrive and enjoy sharing their local knowledge. Throughout the year there are local fêtes and musical soirées in the village and our tenants are invited to participate.
The property has been carefully renovated by traditional craftsmen using locally sourced materials such as stone and colourful Provençal tiles.
Visitors are able to enjoy a stunning, unspoilt environment and appreciate the traditional rural way of life at the same time as supporting the local economy. A femme de ménage from the village is employed at the weekends to clean the property. The owners provide detailed information about the local shops, markets and restaurants in nearby villages as they are keen for visitors to sample the delicious locally produced food. A local grocer van calls at the hamlet a couple of times a week. The owners’ son has a restaurant in the village and our tenants always have a special welcome there. All this, along with renting the property, injects money into the local economy and supports life in rural France. Similarly they promote the local craftsmen who make santons or ornamental figures of characters in the village, and also the cultivators of herbs such as lavender, thyme etc.
The house is very well insulated and double-glazed to reduce the need for heating; wood is available for the log-burning stove. The swimming pool is covered every evening to reduce evaporation and minimise topping up with water. Paper, plastic and glass are recycled and the owners ask tenants to take their sorted rubbish to a nearby collection point. They also have composting facilities which tenants are encouraged to use.
Although a car is necessary to get to the property some of the best ways to enjoy the area are on foot or by bike as there are way-marked paths and quiet lanes for cycling which pass close to the property; bike hire is available nearby. The owners have information about the best walks in the area.
We support a range of charities and projects in France and worldwide which provide aid to vulnerable communities and habitats, e.g. ASSOHUMA, a French charity which organises trips taking humanitarian and medical aid to women in Afghanistan and families in remote Sénégal; Shared Interest, a co-operative lending society which provides funding for Third World producers.
Our office is in Devon is in a redundant agricultural building which we re-built using reclaimed, traditional materials. We support the Devon Wildlife Trust and we have nest boxes and feeding stations in the office grounds to encourage the birds. Our water for the office comes from a spring and is pumped by a water-powered ram. We do not produce a paper brochure; our bookings and enquiries are handled by email and all our office paper and printing cartridges are re-cycled. Our shredded documents go on the compost heap.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
