Guest reviews

A great location set in beautiful countryside

Admitting how much we really loved this quiet part of Normandy feels like a dangerous act – fearing publicity will attract the masses and spoil the peace. The Haras is just the place to get away from it all: a great location set in beautiful countryside with only small towns and real people in the vicinity. The pace of life of this part of rural France has to be a cure-all for those needing a break from the hustle. Cheese, seafood and calvados – what a combination!

William the Conqueror’s chateau in Falaise is fantastic (even for a displaced Welshman growing up with castles) and the town is a delight. We were amazed, both coming and going (we are slow learners), how easy it was to get to Neuvy (we took the train from Paris to Caen and then rented a car). The beaches of Normandy and the D-Day history, Bayeux and the tapestry are within easy reach.

All this and the horses at the Haras had us ready to chuck it all in and ask for employment as stable hands.

Alun and Donna Edwards – Calgary, Canada

Très beau gîte

Nous voulons vous remercier pour l’agréable séjour que nous avons passé dans ce très beau gite,  et   Bravo pour le très beau site.

Avec notre meilleur souvenir

Perfect rural setting… Highly recommended

Ease of access to this amazing part of France from Paris and England and the very easy driving really worked for us.

We loved making closer connections with some of the key events and personalities in both English and French history – medieval and modern – such as William the Conqueror, Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Normandy landings in WW2. Seventh heaven if you’re a history buff.

The perfect rural setting of the Haras du Gazon made it an ideal place to relax after our busy days of sightseeing and sampling the local fare, which was another highlight of our visit. Be warned – lashings of butter, cream, cheeses not to mention cider and calvados. We found that long walks in the countryside seemed to ward off any consequences!

Adding to the rural ambience, the property functions as a horse stud (breeding show jumpers), and being able to look at these gorgeous animals on a daily basis was something that we really enjoyed (even though we’re not horse aficionados.)

Conclusion? Highly recommended.

Marg and Greg Toll – Melbourne, Australia

An elegance of earlier times…

We only have one complaint to make about our stay at Haras du Gazon.  It was far too brief! The beauty and charm of this property was overwhelming. Stone walls adorned with climbing roses, cobblestoned courtyards, geometric hedges and glorious formal water gardens placed us in an elegance of earlier times.

We’d come from strenuous cycling endeavours in the Alpes and Pyrenees and this was exactly what we needed before returning to Australia. It was delightful to wake to the whinnies of the horses as the stable hands approached with delectable barrows of hay, all lovingly grown by Tim through the summer season. We unwound by taking walks around the  property and saying hello to the beautiful mares and foals who were always inquisitive and frequently put on a gymnastic display to entertain us. We even got to meet the little Normand cows who would grow up to produce the irresistible camembert cheese of the region.

We enjoyed watching the young showjumpers go through their paces on the purpose built arena. Spend a little time with Tim and he will convince you that their breeding is as intricate as any thoroughbred racehorse. We did briefly venture into the local town to stock up on cheese and wine and did see William The Conqueror’s Castle. Unfortunately impending plane journeys cut our visit way too short. The problem is it’s so hard to tear yourself away from the beautiful property to take advantage of all the region has to offer. We will be back to avail ourselves of Tim and Annie’s hospitality in this special place.

Sarah and Rob Rawlinson – Mt Barker, South Australia

Will definitely be back next year!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Haras du Gazon. We’d never been to Normandy before but it is absolutely stunning. So much to do – or not have to do – depending on what you’re looking for!

The gardens of the Haras are beautiful and really well maintained. It’s so nice to be able to actually ‘stay’ somewhere like this rather than just visiting for a few hours!

The on site pool is a real bonus and grounds are lovely.

Would really recommend a stay there. Plus it’s so close to Caen you don’t have to spend hours driving through France to start your holiday.

Will definitely be back next year – this time with a little one in tow!

Lucy and Andy – Hertfordshire, UK

Happy Days

Thank you for a lovely few days – you are always so welcoming.

 My favourite place in France.

It is simply the most beautiful establishment. You are surrounded by perfect photo opportunities as you can’t possibly take a bad photo here! Not only is the countryside beautiful, it’s peaceful, quiet and the paddocks are full of stunning show jumpers.  Tim and Annie Holford are  the kindest and most wonderful hosts. I can’t recommend staying here more highly, a must do if visiting Normandy!!

Our First Review from Trip Advisor –  Just a Perfect Stay! *****

From our lovely guests from Belgium: Two families who chose to see the New Year 2014 in at the Haras du Gazon ! JUST A PERFECT STAY! ***** We were very much looking forward to this stay in Normandy, but once we arrived in front of the monumental main house, we knew our expectations would not be let down. The property is just beautiful, with horse stables, beautiful garden, nice old buildings completely restored. The inside of the gîte Almé was perfect and much more than we hoped for: cosy interior, all the equipment you can possibly dream of (steam cooker, toaster, coffee machine, iron, dish washer, washing machine, flat screens, dvd players, iPod box), completed with very good beds, lovely bed and bath linen and a lot of space, even for 12 people. The owners are very friendly, and helping out with every question you have, but also very busy with taking care of the many horses they are breeding. This is an address to return to, and to recommend to other travellers. Perfect to explore Normandy, to do some walking and biking, to enjoy fresh seafood, discover the French ‘bled’ and learn about the history of the second world war.

We will definitely return !

Ease of booking ***** Directions to the property***** Key pickup/access to the property***** Overall condition***** Quality of bedding/mattresses***** Kitchen/utensils quality***** Cleanliness of bathroom ***** Quality of facilities/amenities*****

Liked best: we liked it all ! Liked least: nothing, it was all good Travelling group: Extended Family Would I recommend this vacation rental to my best friend? Yes. Recommended for: Friends getaway Older travellers Families with young children • The property was “as advertised”. • I recommend the location. • The property was a good value for the price paid.

A Most Wonderful Easter Break

Thank you for a most wonderful Easter break. We have really enjoyed the peace, the horses, especially the newborn foals.

Five teenagers have been kept well entertained with the games room, the pool (yes they did have a swim!), the bikes etc, etc.

You couldn’t have been more welcoming and we will definitely return.

Idyllic Setting

Tim & Annie have done a fabulous job on the gîtes. Beautifully appointed and in a setting that truly deserves the description of idyllic. The rustic nature of the place in its natural form lends a relaxing feel that is hard to match. My family had a restful stay.

Normandy itself is fascinating. Great food, cycling, history & culture all within an arms reach.

We’ll be back.

 A Winning Formula

Tim & Annie are perfect hosts and have provided gîtes of the highest quality with every thought for the facilities required. Add to this an idyllic setting, a haven for animal lovers, bags of activity for adults and children and you have a winning formula for a break in Normandy.

The Entire Family Loved Our Week!

What a wonderful week in Normandy! A++ hospitality. The entire family loved our week on the horse farm. Thank you for all you did; gifts,directions,suggestions for entertainment, to make this our favourite vacation.

The Geitgey family. USA. April 2014

We Had a Great Time!

We had a lovely vacation! Thank you for your hospitality and the lovely atmosphere from the horses. When we arrived we were amazed by the beautiful landscape and the houses. We will definitely come back. We had a great time , enjoyed all the facilities and there was a really good service – it felt like home.

Thank you!

Everything Was Good

We’ve been here for a couple of days and enjoyed it. Tim & Annie are very friendly and gave us the ‘Special Guest’ feeling. It was nice and quiet for the children (aged 11-16) There was enough to play with and they enjoyed swimming in the pool.

If you like walking we can recommend the ‘Swiss Normande’-there was a lot of information in the gîte.

We had a nice relaxed week, the gîte was warm and clean, everything was good and Tim & Annie made us feel like home.

I Can’t Imagine a Better Place to stay and Visit Normandy

Our artistic guests from Madrid left us a wonderful pictorial review!

We All Had a Lovely Holiday!

We are s glad we chose your gîte to stay at. the accommodations were perfect; Clean,beautiful and you were both very hospitable. We hope to see you again in the future, Thanks again .

                                                                                                                           Chaya & Jake Masteran. London.  May 2014

Everyone had a Fantastic Holiday

We were a party of 7 adults and 9 children ranging in age from 2 -15 years. Both gîtes were absolutely beautiful with every facility/amenity that you could wish for. There were so many things for the children to do from swimming to table tennis to bike rides to explore the area.

Tim & Annie, the owners could not have been nicer or more helpful. Anything that was required, they were more than willing to assist and could not have been friendlier; nothing was too much trouble.

The weather was not particularly good but everyone had a fantastic holiday and have all agreed that we would like to come back.

Thank you Tim & Annie, for sharing your beautiful home.

We have had the best time here in Normandy – loved every second and the house is beautiful. So many memories were made here and it has brought our family closer – we have found out more about each other. It’s a brilliant fun & cosy place to stay – we had lots of fun

Thank you for the brilliant stay, lots of great memories and great horses.

                                                        Michelle Courtney & Family:  The Winters, Morleys,  Dobbinsons ,Hemsleys

                                                                                                                                                                   Dartford Kent May 2014

I Love this Place!

                                                                                                               The Bellinck Family and Friends , Belgium. June 2014

Les Meilleurs Vacances du Monde Entier

                                                                                                                                      The Bellinck family & Friends.  Belgium.  June 2014 

Kan niet beter!

Thank you so much for a wonderful stay. You have a lovely home and are such kind people; we only wished we had more time

The highlight of our stay was being at a working horse farm in the middle of incredibly beautiful countryside. We liked the central location, only 20 minutes’ drive from Falaise and other cities within easy driving distance. Also the price is very reasonable.

Kan niet beter!

Till the next time

                                                                                                                           The Halff & Johnson Families,   USA..    June 2014

What a Wonderful Place to Stay!

What a wonderful place to stay! In all of our travels throughout Europe over the past 6 years this is by far our favourite and most memorable accommodation. Thank you for the hospitality. We look forward to bringing our children and extended family back soon!

                                                The Boyer family:    Eric Carla Ella Everett Addisyn & Kerstin     USA           June 2014

We Will Definitely Return!

We Have Really Enjoyed Being Here!

Our group of seven have just returned from a wonderful holiday at the Haras du Gazon (staying in Gite Alme). Quiet and relaxing, it gave us all the opportunity to completely chill out and enjoy the weather, beautiful gardens, swimming pool and get to know some of the local residents! It’s been a real treat to wake up everyday  so close to the horses!

Equally, there was plenty to explore just a short drive away when we had the energy to. Brilliant hosts that made everything very easy from booking to arrival and throughout our stay. Highly recommended.

Thank you for having us to stay at the Haras du Gazon. Your home is lovely and we have really enjoyed being here.

Hopefully we will see you again in the future.

Best Holiday Ever!

The Ramsden Family 2015

An Amazing Holiday

Thank you for a fabulous weeks holiday. The gites have been great, the pool and gardens stunning and it has made for an overall great week in Normandy.                                                      Trudi B   Cumbria UK   2015  

Beautiful Surroundings

Thank you for a lovely gite, beautiful surroundings, a relaxing holiday. The children enjoyed the pool and games room and all the outside space.Plus the wonderful gardens and grounds were very much appreciated by all. Many thanks.

                                                                  Kim Dan Alex Sam Josh Hannah & Jake   UK 2015

Our only regret is that we didn’t book a fortnight!

What a wonderful week in Double Espoir! Our only regret is that we didn’t book a fortnight. The  gîte is  well appointed with everything you need for a week away; all the details are attended to with thought and care. We visited Falaise, Argentan, Bayeux, Putanges and many more. We need to come back and explore more next year. Beautiful pool, gardens and of course the beauty of the horses. This place has a spirit – I miss it already!

                                                                                                    The Goodby Family  UK  2015

This Place is Fabulous

This place is fabulous – we are very sorry to be leaving. the gite has everything: wonderful comfortable places to relax, a superbly equipped kitchen,warmth aplenty,great beds and bathrooms. The horses and riders have been great company. Thank You – we are already talking about a return visit!

Anna & Peter Wells.  Derbyshire, UK      Rachel, Xavier & Leo.   Tours, France   2015

A Truly Wonderful Place

A truly wonderful place to relax and enjoy the surroundings of Normandy. You offer a unique opportunity and we would all like to return. Being part of a beautiful and historic setting was particularly memorable.Recommend to visitors – 360 cinema at Arromanches, pretty port of Honfleur and a train trip to Paris…

The Jones & Davies Family.       Port Talbot, Wales.   2016

So Much to See & Do

We were all very excited to come back to the Haras du Gazon this year and to try out a new gite ( 2 down & 2 to go!)   The house is beautiful, the setting is tranquil and Anne is very warm and welcoming. There’s so much to see and do nearby and we will definitely be back.

Anne, Jean Lou, Joseph, Jacques and Jean – Pierre.        UK    2016

I cannot tell you how good this stay has been!

                                                                                                                         The Holding & Buckland Families UK June 2016

We had such a good time!

                                                                                                                                       The Clegg/Roberts Family 2016

We’ll Never Forget the Lovely Time We Had!

Nous avons passé de très bonnes vacances dans votre ferme ; avec le calme et l’enchantement qui règnent tout autour la propriété. Nous n’oublierons jamais les bons moments qu’on à passé

                                                                             Simone & Yossi Barak . Kadima Tsoran Israel.  August 2016

We Would Love to Come Back!

We have had a fabulous holiday in this gorgeous gîte rurale. The kids loved seeing all the horses and feeding the fish. And of course the brilliant swimming pool- they have turned into fish themselves as they would not get out of it!

The relaxed ambience of this lovely place has been very nurturing for us all. Your hospitality and helpfulness enhanced our stay. We particularly loved your picnic recommendations!

We would love to come back

                                                                                                        Angelina McGaw & Family   August 2016

Thank you so much for a lovely Christmas at the Haras du Gazon.

The gîte was great, very comfortable, well equipped, very clean; so warm and cosy! We had a relaxing time, did lots of cooking, guys enjoyed the games room and of course we all enjoyed walking around the property, so amazing! And it was so nice petting the horses and feeding them carrots.

                                                                      Kerveadou Family – French & American from Paris & Michigan 2016

Another Lovely Week

This was our third visit to the Haras du Gazon and another lovely week. We have been very comfortable in Cor de la brière and hope we’ll come back again. Thanks Anne & Tim!

                                                                 Anne, Jean-Lou Joseph, Jaques & Jean Pierre  February 2017   London UK

Another wonderful visit to your beautiful part of the world!

Thank you to Annie & Tim for the great house and welcome. The kids have thoroughly enjoyed the pool, games room, tennis & grounds. This is also the perfect place for an Easter egg hunt! We will visit again

                                                                                                    Jones & Davies families South Wales, UK.  Easter 2017