A Stay At The Ferme De Fontenille With Un Lit Au Pré

Bonjour lecteurs! Do you sometimes feel like we are over-connected in our modern life? Do you fancy going back to a simpler life, even for a weekend? Being in the country and truly enjoying and appreciating nature? Why not do so in my beautiful native country? Un Lit Au Pré partners with local farms for you to stay in a beautiful country lodge. We had a refreshing stay at the Ferme de Fontenille in Picardy with Un Lit Au Pré and it was just fantastique.

Un Lit Au Pré / Feather Down

Le concept of Un Lit Au Pré est super simple. You book a family lodge located on a farm and get to stay there with no electricity.

You may have already heard about it. In England, it’s called Feather Down.

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Simply escape to the country! You get to enjoy a small-scale holiday on the farm with all the comfort for you and your family to make it one of your best breaks.

Think evenings by the fire, wooden lodges, being among nature, and learning about the animals of the farm.

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The concept is originally from the Netherlands, but it is getting more populaire all across Europe.

La Ferme De Fontenille

As we were going to visit my family based in Soissons in Picardy, I booked a lodge to stay at the Ferme de Fontenille.

It’s only 30 minutes drive from my parents and I thought it would be fabulous to disconnect for a few days.

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What an experience for Stanley! He LOVED it and truly embraced being in nature.

Our Arrival

As soon as we arrived, the tone was set.

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You basically park up at the farm shop that Delphine and her family have been running for over 10 years.

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We were shown the area around their farmhouse. It’s just in the middle of nowhere and it is absolutely dreamy!

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We got to meet up with the lapins (we are kind of fans, you know haha) and also the guinea pig, Pepito.

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Within 10 mins, we had immersed ourselves in the life à la ferme.

And while the boys drove to the campsite to see our Frenchie lodge, I walked through the estate with Delphine who explained to me their story.

A Family Business

After being a speech therapist for years, she decided to start a new adventure and share her family’s passion for farm life.

Indeed, Un Lit Au Pré partners with local farms they carefully select. This way, not only you can have a lovely escape in the country, but you can also discover the world of farming.

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A fun way for children to learn about where our food comes from and help the rural economy.

Straight away, I was impressed by her story and the passion she had for the farm.

They started the project in Spring 2022 and it was ready for the summer.

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Once we crossed the Domaine and a corn field, we arrived at the campsite where there were 6 lodges.

Our Lodge

Going back to basics does not mean you have to sacrifice comfort! 

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Even though the lodge had no electricity at all, everything was planned for us to have the best time possible. You can see a video with more details on my Instagram here.

First, the lodge was très spacieux.

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You come to the common room and you have a sofa as well as a large table.

The candles on the chandeliers and the lanterns also made some cute détails.

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It was like being back in time! I was living my own Little House on the Prairie experience, except it was in France and not in the wild west!

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We also got a stove and everything to get it started. So that we could cook our food like in the old days.

Our Bedrooms

The lodge had more surprises for us. You can fit up to six people with its three bedrooms. Grumpy Boyfriend and I slept in the main one on the right.

While Stanley made himself comfortable on the bunk bed.

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But he also really LOVED the cupboard bed. How cute is this?!

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He would wake up in the morning and open his window to say ‘Bonjour‘!

The whole space is so well thought out! The lodge measured about 500 square feet and we had plenty of room to relax in this beautiful setting.

The Kitchen & The Shower

The kitchen space was great too with all the kitchenware and utensils needed for you to easily cook your food while you stay at the Lit Au Pré.

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We even had a starter set with matches and woods.

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We arrived quite unprepared and to be fair, we managed it all the first night without un problème!

If you are a camping lover, you would absolutely LOVE this.

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En plus, you have your private toilet, so it feels quite luxurious compared to a traditional campsite.

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We also had our own barbecue and our own shower on the side.

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How fabulous does it look? It’s so eco-friendly and well thought out once more. The water goes through the bucket for a true vintage country experience!

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The Campsite

Imagine this cosy and rustic lodge in the middle of a field.

Right by a pond and surrounded by colourful flowers.

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You just park at the entrance and then, get all your stuff in the wheelbarrow to take to your lodge.

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It’s simply fabulous. You get the taste of an adventure, but it still feels so luxurious!

But if you want to be fully adventurous, you can also do it like in the old days! Grab some water bottles stored in the freezer from the common room and use them to store your food fresh in the pantry.

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Remember, you don’t have any electricity in your Lit Au Pré lodge.

Very Family-Friendly

Stanley was quick to explore and he made some friends with children from a Dutch family staying in another lodge.

He spent hours playing in the sand pit. Sometimes, simple things are the best.

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Meanwhile, Grumpy Boyfriend and I would stay outside our lodge sipping wine and chatting with the other lodgers.

It was beautiful. Simple, but also magical. Bien sûr, it was so quiet!

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And you also have a common room with a fridge and a freezer where you can keep your stuff fresh. And some plugs to charge your phones etc.

But quite frankly, I was quite happy to turn mine off!

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You could also find there some toys and old books for children to entertain themselves.

Or grab a locally made ice cream in the freezer. You could even order fresh bread or croissants for your breakfast. And even some local meat directly brought from the farm shop!

La Vie A La Ferme

Un Lit Au Pré offers you la possibilité to see what life at the farm is really like.

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You can get to feed the animals, and even go on the tractor with the farmer.

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It’s l’excuse parfaite to learn about rural living and also support local farms.

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Stanley loved observing the cows and we got to learn more about farming.

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We did not do much more as we really wanted to relax and it was a great spot to be local to my famille.

Relax With Your Family

But there are so many ways to enjoy it. Basically, switch off and relax!

Just do what you want and enjoy being in nature. I have never felt so relaxed for a long time.

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I really enjoyed not having new technologies, just grabbing a book and sitting by the fire with some good food in the evenings.

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My mum and niece even came around to have dinner with us and it was magical.

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We also stopped by the farm shop before heading to Normandy to see my brother.

Un Lit Au Pré – Le Verdict

So, have I convinced you to escape to the farm with Un Lit Au Pré? If you are up for an adventure and you would like a family break among nature, then this is parfait for you.

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I must thank La Ferme De Fontenille, Delphine, and all her family for such a welcoming stay.

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From start to finish, they made sure we were having a great time. It was lovely to see the passion they all had for farming.

And I have never felt so refreshed and relaxed after a good technology free (or almost!) weekend.

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We loved our lodge and the space it had to offer. The beds were super comfy and it was pure bliss to sleep in nature in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the forest.

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It was so good and relaxing we contemplated the idea that maybe one day, we will buy a villa or a farm in the French countryside!

I am not sure if it will ever happen, but it was truly lovely to rediscover Picardy, especially when it had been so long since we had been back.

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Fancy a bit of calm and peace? Would you like a family-friendly stay where the children can also take part in the farm life? Book your stay now with Un Lit Au Pré for an enchanting break.

Prices for a lodge with Un Lit Au Pré start from £204 for 2 nights.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with Un Lit Au Pré. We received a complimentary stay at the farm. All opinions are my own.

You can see a video of our experience with Un Lit Au Pré on my Instagram here.

 

12 Comments

  1. MARIA Rogers
    August 28, 2022 / 10:31 am

    Wonderful going back to basics in nature, very grounding in such a fast life nowadays

    • Cecile Blaireau
      Author
      August 28, 2022 / 5:06 pm

      Yes absolutely. I have not felt so refreshed in a very long time.

  2. Siobhan N
    August 28, 2022 / 10:59 am

    It looks amazing there! I will definitely investigate their website!

  3. Priscilla Stubbs
    August 28, 2022 / 4:25 pm

    It looks absolutely amazing, so much to do and see, certainly not roughing it the glamping looks quite luxurious

  4. Rhian Thomas
    August 28, 2022 / 4:54 pm

    Looks amazing. A real back to nature holiday

  5. lynn neal
    August 28, 2022 / 7:02 pm

    This looks like a really different experience to try for a change!

  6. ashleigh
    August 29, 2022 / 8:59 am

    Looks amazing!

  7. Coldi
    August 29, 2022 / 10:01 am

    This looks beautiful, definitely my type of holiday!

  8. Wendy Lam-Vechi
    August 29, 2022 / 10:08 am

    We’re so reliant on electricity these days for technology that I would love for my kids and I to experience life without power. I bet we would end up really enjoying each other’s company and spending more time talking than on technology. I love the look of the lodge too and how rustic it looks. My kids would love the bed. I wonder if there is anything like this in the UK

    • Cecile Blaireau
      Author
      August 29, 2022 / 6:43 pm

      Yes it is called Feather Down, check it out they have many locations on the UK 🙂

  9. Margaret Gallagher
    August 29, 2022 / 11:42 am

    What a beautiful place to relax and spend quality time together – would love to experience too

  10. Amanda Walsh
    August 29, 2022 / 7:56 pm

    We absolutely love a lodge stay, this looks superb

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