La Vie de Cocagne

A gorgeous 18th-century gite for slow living and self-catering, surrounded by meadows, manor houses and cideries (sleeps 6+ a baby)

This lovely half-timbered building was once a stable block - fittingly, since the fields around are filled with horses - before French owners Thierry and Caroline spent a year carefully renovating it into a spectacular barn-style home. It now has 3 bedrooms (2 doubles and a double/twin), and is a great spot for a family wanting a relaxed rural holiday, or for a group of friends wanting to whoop it up in the Normandy countryside. Style wise, the barn is beautifully decorated with Farrow & Ball paint and slate tiles, filled with gadgets like a Bose iPod dock, and gilded with unique touches like a glittering chandelier and stuffed antelope head. It's a total one-off, and looks fabulous.

We haven't visited yet, but those who have rave about it, and we can happily imagine lounging in the hot tub in summer, sitting by the wood-burner in winter, cooking lavish meals in the lovely kitchen, and enjoying the simple pleasures of a home from home. Its name heralds from the Jeanne Moreau song La Vie de Cocagne, in which she dreams of leaving Paris for a fantasy country house where the art of living is high on the menu - that country house is imaginary no more.

Highs

• A peaceful, rural setting for relaxation, but within easy walking distance of Bonnebosq (a small town, part of the famous cider route), and a short drive from Deauville, Honfleur and Normandy's beaches
• The fantastic blend of style throughout: antique tables, French country linens, religious artefacts, a bright-red Louis XV armchair and wonderful wooden beams
• Beautifully kitted out for a rental property - bathrobes, toiletries, a Nespresso coffee machine, fancy bathrooms and a hot tub
• Well set up for foodies: a great sociable kitchen and plenty of regional restaurants in Bonnebosq, plus 3 Michelin-starred eateries in Honfleur (30 minutes' drive away)
• Easy access to nearby ports - only an hour's drive from Le Havre

Lows

• Fairly isolated - you'll need a car to get here, and during your stay
• The gite is set within the owner's property, but you still have lots of private space (gardens and terraces), and views lead off into the countryside
• No pool, though there is a hot tub
• You'll have to book well in advance for July, August, Christmas and New Year, and Normandy gets very busy during August, the French holiday month