La Bergerie is a former flint and brick croft which has been lovingly transformed into an independent gîte de charme with a wonderful view of Honfleur old town, the ‘pont de Normandie’ and the Seine estuary.
The house dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. It was also part of Lucie Delarue Mardrus’s property called Le Pavillon de la Reine which was built for Marie-Antoinette 2 years before the French revolution.. Honfleur was Lucie Delarue Mardrus’ hometown. She was a writer and a poet and married Doctor Mardrus who was one of the major translators of 1001 Nights into French.
The house has been rebuilt by local craftsmen in 2012 and most of its original features have been kept. The presence of bricks and stone and the timber frame is characteristic of regional houses in Normandy. It used to be a rural building and we wanted to keep the main features. We added to it a large glass veranda that allows you to enjoy the garden and the view in any weather.
La Bergerie shares the entrance gate with La Ferme, but each house is well separated from the other and each has its own outdoor space which respects privacy.
The house is laid out on 2 levels. On the ground floor, the space is divided between the kitchen, the dining area, a winter lounge in front of the wood burning stove, a TV sitting area and last but not least the lounge in the veranda.
On the first floor, the 2 bedrooms and a shared toilet.
Each bedroom has its own bathroom in the room itself. A bath and a sink. In the master bedroom, you have a bubble bath and in the second bedroom, it's a classic bath.
Both bedrooms has excellent quality mattresses. In the master bedroom, you have a double bed and in the second bedroom, it's either 2 single beds or a King size double bed, depending on your need. There's also a cot in the second bedroom but we provide a travel cot if you need it to be in the master bedroom. You can also use a high chair and I can lend you a push chair (Maclaren) with additional charges.
Bed linen and towels are provided as well as shower gel and soap.
The house has an Internet connection and WiFi.
There is a large screen and a home-cinema system, with two controls - one to switch the TV on and change channels and the second for the DVD player. You need to press ‘source’ on the TV remote and choose HDMI 1 to watch TV. You will have access mostly to French channels.
Cooker 
Operation of the cooker is self-explanatory, Please note that the surfaces should not be cleaned with abrasive products. Please clean it with the appropriate cleaning material provided which you can find under the kitchen sink.
Washer-drier
You will find instructions in the sideboard. An iron, ironing board and clothes horse are in the cupboard in the kitchen.
You are welcome to use the stove. You can use it as an alternative to the underfloor heating. We will provide logs for a modest additional charge. Please use only the wood provided. When the stove is operating, the handling facilities and door handle may be very hot. To avoid burns, use the « oven glove » supplied to manipulate them and use the guards in presence of young children as the door glass gets very hot.
La Bergerie is located in about 3 acres of grounds, shared with La Ferme. There is plenty of space for children to play but please respect your neighbours’ privacy.
We have 2 lovely goats on the property. They are very sociable and friendly, their names are Blanchette and Noisette, it is OK to feed them with vegetables or stale bread but always keep young children’s fingers away from the fence. If you do enter the paddock with a member of the team or with permission from one of them please bear in mind that the goats’ horns are at about eye height for a child. Please take care.
Please note that opening the goats enclosure is not allowed as these lovely animals tend to escape very quickly!!
Smoking is not allowed on any part of the property. The owners are non-smokers, as are all other guests of La Ferme and La Bergerie.
Pets are allowed with the prior agreement of the owner. They are not allowed on the furniture. Please ensure your pet does not soil the lawn or any part of the garden, damage any plants or scare the goats. Please remember that families with children use this property.