Le Domaine de la Lochetière, with Sylvia Merel

LE DOMAINE DE LA LOCHETIERE is an hour and a half’s drive from Paris, between Verneuil-sur-Avre and Mortagne-au-Perche in the heart of Le Perche Regional Natural Park in Orne, in southern Normandy.

With easy access from Paris, Belgium or the UK, La Lochetière guest house in Le Perche is the perfect place to get away from it all or the ideal stopover when travelling from Paris to Mont Saint Michel, Brittany or the Touraine region.

Set in a 5-hectare estate on the edge of the Perche forest, the former outbuildings of an 18^th-century farm have been converted into spacious guest house rooms steeped in charm. The typically Percheron buildings combine contemporary comfort, family heirlooms and vintage pieces picked up at the many bric-a-brac stores and markets around the Perche.

DOMAINE DE LA LOCHETIERE is heated using geothermal energy so is comfortable all year round. It has four guest rooms – three decorated in a ‘country chic’ style in the main guest house, and a fourth with a vintage bric-a-brac feel in a little building that was once the farm’s bakehouse.

The guest house living room has vast bay windows so you will feel immersed in the natural surroundings even when curled up inside in the warmth of the wood-pellet stove.

Our estate has several centuries-old trees including a remarkable oak that has reigned here for around 500 years. There is also a pond, an orchard and a landscaped garden that is lovely to drift around and daydream. La Lochetière is also a good starting point for a number of hikes or bike rides.

You will also find Percheron horses, the emblem of Le Perche, at DOMAINE DE LA LOCHETIERE. Our three American Percherons are being trained to drive carriages but in the meantime, you can admire them as they graze freely around the estate.

To make your stay complete, we also offer bistro/retro-dining style meals concocted using the best local produce.

In addition, your host Sylvia Merel is the author of the “Un week-end dans le Perche” blog and is a mine of information on what to do and where to go in Le Perche, an unspoilt corner of France full of authentic character.