Renting Gite Géfosse Fontenay Isigny sur Mer

Isolated at the end of the manor’s walled garden, this little gem is the cosiest lovers’ retreat. Built into the high walls around the old manor, it was once the watchtower for the fortified farm and was probably also used by customs officers fighting the smuggling along this coast. All you’ll spy today are the Leharivels' 80-odd dairy cows mowing the lush pastures of the Cotentin peninsula. Arrive in winter and Isabelle will have lit a fire for you in the wood-burner; come in summer and you have a sun-drenched terrace to lounge on. Pale stone walls and pretty toile de Jouy create a mood of light and calm for the bedroom, with its corner shower cubicle. A steep staircase leads down to the tiny beamed living room: darkly atmospheric, it’s just big enough to squeeze in a sofa, a drop-leaf table and a corner kitchenette. The beach is a stroll away; restaurants and shops are a short drive. And you can visit the D-day landing beaches, including Pointe du Hoc on Omaha Beach where you’ll still see German bunkers and shell-holes in the cliffs.

Second gîte and guests house in manor house. Sawday B&B.