Domaine de Pouzieux, Maillet - Allier, Auvergne

 

 

 

The farm and surroundings

Just over 3 hours from Paris and 10 km from the
A71 motorway, you will discover le Domaine de Pouzieux, surrounded by the dramatic Bourbonnais landscape. The farm was built on the site of an ancient fort which was once home to 11 houses. Today, this 210 ha farm enjoys a stunning setting amidst verdant hills and valleys. The farm is just 2km from the medieval town of Hérisson, a former Roman city which is nestled in the hollow of the romantic Aumance river.

The Bourbonnais area is steeped in history : during the 13th century, Béatrice de Bourgogne known as Dame de Bourbon (Bourbon L’Archambault is a nearby city) married the son of Louis XI. This heralded the start of the House of Bourbon from which the kings of France and Henry IV descended.

This alliance rapidly led to the creation of a powerful kingdom, which explains the number of chateaux in surrounding villages. Small tracks and winding roads meander through this stunning Bourbonnais landscape. It’s very easy to lose yourself in this historic area : you may find yourself wandering around the villages and stumble upon a building used by a former member of royalty : either way you can’t help but be charmed by this landscape of the steep valleys and gently sloping hills. This is dramatic countryside with dense forest and pastures broken up by thick hedges, then you’ll come across isolated ancient oak trees dotted around the fields. With it’s chateaux, fortresses and historical villages (which have hardly altered over the years), the peaceful Bourbonnais area offers a perfect antidote to modern stress in urban life.

We are passionate about using traditional farming methods with our herd of « Charolais » beef cattle. We produce all the crops on the farm to feed our animals. All year we very much fit in with the rhythm of the seasons, valuing nature and our environment : calving in winter and springtime, the animals are turned out in the spring and we tend to the crops, haymaking and harvesting in the summer, sowing the crops and bringing the animals back inside in the autumn.

Wherever possible, we eat what we grow and make on the farm : wheat, flour, bread, poultry, beef, pork, lamb, vegetables and certain specialities of our house (teas, jams and aperitifs).

You are our guests and we are looking forward to showing you round our farm. We would also like you to think of our stay together as a shared chance to hone our language skills. Speak English slowly with us, then we can reply clearly in French - that way we both know each other's languages and cultures a little better !

Less than 300 metres from the farm, set away from it all, you will find the tents in an undulating south facing location.They are nestled at the foot of ancient oak tress, which hide the babbling brook running close by. The animals may stop to have a drink at the stream, always a great sight for the children.

Long grass grows up around the foot of the ancient oak trees. You can access your tent across the little wooden bridge, which is secured to the trees and allows you to get across. Whether you opt to play around the little weir at the lake, or climb in an ancient oaak tree or visit the old hunting lodge near the river... Children will love it !

The Pouzieux farm family
Bernard and Lidwine Philip have 2 grown up children, and 6 grand children. They are third generation farmers, descending from a family who has taken great pride in running Domaine de Pouzieux over the years.

Pets Welcome
Pets are welcome but you must keep dogs on leads at all times. Please respect the advice given by the farmers.

Things to do and discover in the area

• Maillet village is home to the International Footsbarn Traveling Theater. Their interpretations of Molière or Shakespeare and magical performances have toured all over the world : next outdoor summer performances on www.footsbarn.com
• Just 2 km away is Hérisson,with it’s medieval lanes , perched at the edges of the Aumance river built around the fortress of the grand chateau. Every year, on the first Sunday after the 15th August, you’ll discover a huge bric a brac market. If you miss this then there’s a market every Friday morning. If you want a taste of local life you can play « pétanque », a perfect spot down by the river amongst the ducks under the shade of the trees. You can even taste the local whisky which might still be distilled in Herisson...
• 5 km away you can see the Roman ruins at Chateloy. There is a splendid 12th century church : the murals are well worth seeing and the church has fantastic acoustics.

• 30 km away, Ainay shall not be missed.  Ramparts and turrets have earned this 700 years old medieval chateau the name of « the small Carcassonne ».