The largest of our four thatched cottages here at La Garenne, La Grange was a huge former barn with haylofts above it; we have maintained this spacious open-plan downstairs, with living, kitchen and dining areas combined beneath the exposed beams in the 45ft (nearly 14m) expanse.
More about this cottage
One particular historical feature you will find downstairs is the traditional Breton ‘lit-clos’, which is a raised, enclosed bed. As you will see in the postcards on the cottage walls, which show scenes of Breton life, the family would have kept their livestock with them in the cottage in winter, in order to keep them warm. Ornamental wooden sliding doors to the bed would have provided separation for the sleepers from the animals and the rest of the household. We purchased our ‘lit-clos’ from a local antique dealer – don’t worry we won’t be expecting you to sleep in it, it merely serves as both a piece of history and a children’s play den!
Nowadays, with the upstairs fully renovated we have created three roomy bedrooms and two beautifully fitted bathrooms, one of which is an ensuite to the master bedroom. The additional two bedrooms are equally comfortable and the larger one has 3 single beds and the smaller one 2 single beds. A cot is also available on request.
The woodburning stove downstairs keeps the living room warm on cooler Spring or Autumn evenings and the thatched roofs and thick walls keep the cottages cool in the heat of the summer. We have a plentiful supply of wood available for our guests to use at no extra cost. During the renovations, we brought in the stone arched doorway to La Grange, as some of the dressed stonework had been sold by previous proprietors and replaced with concrete in a time of financial hardship. We have made every effort to source dressed local yellow granite to replace any of these later concrete additions, so that La Garenne can now stand proud and prosperous as it once would have.
As you will see from our selection of photos in both our cottage and gallery pages, the views from all the gites are simply outstanding. La Grange looks straight out on the River Blavet as it calmly carves its course a kilometre or two down the valley. The only obstructions to the view are our ancient well and Breton cider press in the foreground!
