A Family Holiday

Andrew and Jeanette proved to be the warm and welcoming hosts that our correspondence had suggested.
L'Orangerie was everything that the website had described. It did not disappoint. The property is in a stunning location in Suisse Normande in the valley of the river Orne. The area has many good walks, full details of which were provided by Andrew and Jeanette in 'take with you' laminated leaflets. They also provided copious information on the other activities and attractions and, more importantly, restaurants in the area, with personal recommendations.
L'Orangerie was clean and beautifully maintained. The layout worked well for our party of twelve with it's seven ensuite double/twin/triple bedrooms. There was a sufficient supply of hot water for showers etc. The kitchen was well equipped for self catering with a large adjacent dining room. The log fired stove in the large lounge area was much enjoyed although the central heating is more than capable of coping with the cool of autumn.
Our party thoroughly enjoyed our one week stay and are looking to return next year. There is still much to see and do in the area. We can certainly recommend L'Orangerie.

A group of us (5 couples) stayed at the L'Orangerie the end of Sept. this year. It was a delightful holiday. The house itself is beautiful and very well equipped. There was plenty of room for us all to gather in the living room, to eat together in the kitchen and in the dining room. The bedrooms and baths were roomy and comfortable. The setting lovely. The owners, Jeanette and Andrew, became our friends. They were extremely helpful with regards to places to see, things to do and places to eat. And they cooked a delicious meal for us at the end of our visit. It was a 5 minute drive to a small village with a wonderful bakery for croissants and baguettes. We went almost every morning. It was a 15-20 minute drive to Falaise with shops, restaurants and a wonderful history to explore. Caen and the D-Day beaches are 40-60 minutes away. If we were to return to Normandy at some point, I would definitely stay at the L'Orangerie again.

'We had a lovely time at the gite. It was spacious and comfortable, with all our needs catered for. It is in a beautiful area with lots of things to do and see. And our hosts looked after us very well indeed. We would highly recommend it.'

I took a group of 16 to this property recently and it could not have been better. The owners were so helpful, before we went and while we were there.

This was a school group and we arrived late afternoon. Andrew and Jeanette had prepared the place to give us maximum comfort and had been extremely thoughtful about it all. By prior arrangement they had made a superb meal which they served to us in the dining room. It was the best French meal we had during our stay in France! I thoroughly recommend it especially as they tried and succeeded in producing French cuisine that was enjoyed by all.

They were never intrusive but always happy to help and as group leader this helped me hugely.

The house is wonderful- living area just as it is in the pictures and very comfortable. Bedrooms and ensuites were ideal and everything has been thoughtfully provided to make a safe and relaxing stay for children and adults.The property was immaculate, clean and very well maintained. Facilities and equipment in the kitchen perfect- a good cooker and so on. It is all so tastfully done- lovely duvet covers and furnishings.


The area is peaceful and there is lots to do locally. Having been to Normandy many times we did tend to do the things we knew. Falaise is close by and we enjoyed the town and the chateau; M.Martin's goat farm at La Saffrie is about 50 minutes drive but well worth it and of course there are many many local attractions which we did not do this time.

Highly recommend- a true delight.

We thought the property was excellent value for money with plenty of space, lots of ensuite good sized bedrooms and a lovely wide open lounge area with an impressive fireplace.

The enclosed garden suited our young children and the location was quiet and tranquil.

We used our time to travel to see the D-Day beaches as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry with easy driving from the house.
In all we thoroughly enjoyed our time and Andrew and Jeannette were excellent hosts.

Excellent place for a group holiday. We stayed as a family group - lots of different ages - and it suited us perfectly. Very spacious and well-equipped. Extremely friendly and helpful owners living next-door.Good area with lots to do and see. Would definitely recommend it and would return.

We recently returned from a family get-together at L’Orangerie. A good time was had by all. The property was perfect for our group, as those like my Mother and Uncle in their young 80s could stay in the downstairs bedrooms, and us more sprightly 40 somethings were upstairs.

We found the house to be very clean, excellently equipped and furnished, with lots of information prepared by Jeanette and Andrew about what can be done locally – in fact their ‘tourist information’ cupboard was probably as well stocked as the local Tourist Board!

We mainly dined at the Orangerie, as it was too nice to leave (and my relatives are great cooks). The local baby Kestrels were just learning to fly from the top of the priory ruins next door, and we were treated to wonderful daily acrobatic displays. In the mornings, my cousin Mike (a Tai Chi instructor), had the pine martin family that visits (early) throwing their left over cherry pips at him from the tree. The hawks fly in such abundance, you can see them all the time – one is nesting in the trees in the Orangerie’s small woodlands, so we had some really good sightings.

The Suisse Normande could have been tailor made for touring in our classic TVR, and we are thinking about how we can bring the TVR car club over next year for the classic Le Mans Race in June. The huge lounge, loads of comfy chairs and log fire will be perfect for groups of friends to gather around for a drink after a great drive. The locals hold a hill climb once a year on public roads. I plan to come back with a few cars and enter.

Visits to the local markets at St Pierre sur Dives and Falaise brought lots of food shopping opportunities (sausages made with Calvedos; Roquefort; Wild Boar; Myrtiles – even Donkey to name a few) and our trip to the landing beaches at Arromanches made for fun days, but best of all was the time afforded to us to catch up with all our family stories, in the relaxed surroundings created by the very helpful and friendly owners, Jeanette and Andrew.

The holiday passed in a flash – next time we will stay for a fortnight if at all possible. We hope to bring even more of our family together in the lovely house and gardens, as there was plenty of space for us all and more. We didn’t have any young children in our group this time, but there was clearly plenty for them too. We happily recommend this lovely property to all.

The house has been extensively refurbished throughout. There are 7 bedrooms, all very spacious, 6 have en-suites. The bedrooms have been furnished to an excellent standard, there is a bedroom with 3 single beds which we called the "3 Bears room". The living area was huge with a fantastic fireplace, which is great for the colder months. There is more than enough seating in the living room. The kitchen is well equipped and spacious. The dining room is able to accommodate everyone. There is more than enough room to park 7 cars, the grounds are very well kept. The views of the Chateau and the ruins are beautiful. The valley in the autumn is amazing with all the different colours of leaves. The house is an excellent base for visiting Caen, Falaise, Clecy and not forgetting the D-Day beaches. There is just so much to do in this area that a week is just not long enough. Jeanette and Andrew are such perfect hosts ensuring that everything is just right for your stay in their wonderful house. We enjoyed it so much we are going back for the New Year, I have recommended it to a couple of friends but I beat them to booking the New Year.