Region - Nord

Department - Pas de Calais

Spacious renovated character cottage with sunny double aspect located on hillside with half acre garden. Situated in a small village in the lovely River Authie Valley, on of the popular Sept Vallées of Pas-de-Calais with convenient access to coastal towns of Berck and Le Touquet and popular market towns of Hesdin and Abbeville.

Scenic walks, cycling and fishing. Visit the historic battlefields of Crécy and Azincourt and 2nd World War museums at St Omer and Albert. Lovely fishing villages of St Valery (Sunday market) and le Crotoy. The lovely gardens and Abbey of Valloires close by.

Good local restaurants, bistros and shops within 5 minutes drive.

Sunny spacious one-bedroom terraced cottage in hillside location on the edge of a small hamlet in the popular Sept Vallées region of Pas-de-Calais.

Open the front door to a large double aspect lounge with tiled floor and character beams and inglenook fireplace. Heating is all electric with an additional gas fire. Two comfortable double sofas, TV with UK satellite system (BBC/ITV/radio and other popular stations).

Dining area with large mirror, rug and marble-top table with seating for 3. View over elevated back garden. Large fully equipped kitchen/utility area with modern units/ 2 sinks/electric over with halogen/ceramic hobs/extractor, fridge/freezer, microwave oven, washing machine, spin dryer, mini grill, toaster, coffee machine and music centre.

Modernised bathroom with self-contained shower cubicle and extractor/pedestal loo/pedestal sink and cupboards/ 4-way electric wall mounted heater.

Upstairs a fabulous open-plan beamed mezzanine bedroom with one king-size bed and single for child or third adult. Velux in roofspace and dorma window with garden view creating pleasant air flow in summer.

Bedding and towels supplied.

Welcome pack of sparkling wine and cheese on arrival.

His and Hers bicycle hire (£5 a day per bike). Plenty of ad hoc advice on 'where to go and what to do' by the owner. Pets considered.

Hesdin and the Sept Vallées Region
13 minutes away is Hesdin, boasting a traditional market on Thursday mornings, with many shops and a very good supermarket. Hesdin is very pretty and has a wonderful 16th century church which is usually open in the mornings. The River Canche flows through the town and there are many small bridges and streets around the town centre. The town hall was the home of Charles V's (the holy roman emperor) sister, and has a magnificent bay window. with huge spire and belfry. This overlooks a large picturesque square surrounded by cafés and shops.

Montreuil sur Mer is well worth a visit, located on top of a hill with old cobbled streets. The main feature is the Citadel and ramparts. The old wall, with a rampart walk surrounds the town, and takes about half an hour to complete with views that are magnificent. It is approximately half an hour from the house. There are several golf courses nearby.

Historic Hesdin
Hesdin Town Hall's belfry and ornate balcony look over the main square which hosts a busy market every Thursday morning. The Town Hall entrance still bears the Spanish crest Hesdin - a Spanish new town You're standing in the spacious town square in Hesdin, looking up at the Town Hall. The coat-of-arms on the front of the ornate balcony is that of Spain.

The town was forceably moved in 1554 to its present site down in the Canche valley by order of the Spanish Emperor Charles V ("Charles Quint"). 16th century Church of Notre-Dame, on a cobbled street by the River Canche. The old Hesdin on a highly defensible site in the hills had been a dangerous French stronghold in the border wars between France and Spanish Flanders.

Azincourt: Medieval History Centre and battlefield (1415).