About The Project

Hidden away in the Normandy countryside is a tiny hamlet that had been left abandoned for almost 30 years.

When we first discovered it, nature had well and truly taken over. Ivy covered entire buildings, roofs had collapsed, walls were crumbling and trees and undergrowth had reclaimed much of what had once been a thriving little rural community.

And yet, beneath all of that neglect, we could see something rather special.

The hamlet is made up of seven cottages, two barns, a workshop, a cider press, two traditional bread ovens and various other outbuildings, with parts of the site dating back hundreds of years. Every building has its own character, its own problems - and, we’re discovering, its own story to tell.

Our project is to save as much of this wonderful place as we possibly can and, little by little, bring the entire hamlet back to life.

We’re not trying to turn it into something new. Quite the opposite. Wherever possible, we want to preserve the character, history and imperfections that make these old buildings what they are - reusing original materials, working with traditional methods and allowing the village to retain the feeling that it has evolved over centuries rather than been renovated overnight.

And there is rather a lot to do.

Collapsed roofs need rebuilding. Stone walls need dismantling and reconstructing. Ancient fireplaces and chimneys need saving. Thousands upon thousands of stones need cleaning, sorting, repointing and, occasionally, persuading back into the places they occupied hundreds of years ago.

Most of the restoration is being carried out by us, with the invaluable help of some very talented friends and tradespeople along the way.

There is no enormous team behind the scenes and no magic pot of money. The project progresses as time, finances and occasionally the Normandy weather allow - one building, one wall and sometimes one stone at a time.

What began as an attempt to save a collection of abandoned buildings has gradually become something much bigger.

We want this little village to live again.

Some of the buildings will become homes, others will have new purposes, and parts of the hamlet are already welcoming visitors who can come and experience this extraordinary place for themselves.

There are still years of work ahead of us - and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The village waited almost 30 years for somebody to come along and save it.

We rather hope we’re up to the job.