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Isabella342
Reviewed on 13/07/2016 18:11
Chrishc
Reviewed on 03/07/2016 19:05
Chateau de Martragny is a lovely site, and well worth a visit. More by accident than design we arrived during the D-Day celebrations, but we only stayed for 3 nights. We arrived well after 10pm from a late ferry, found the long and very dark driveway to the buildings, and as instructed by the note on the door found ourselves a pitch not far from Reception in a secluded part of the grounds in front of the chateau. I went in search of water and in my best French asked a young groundsman in a buggy where the taps were, to be told that he didn’t know! After nearly being run over by some guys in an American WW2 jeep I found a tap about 10 feet away from where I had asked for it. The site is very large, extending in front and behind the big house in all directions, and has a real French rustic aristocratic quality; reminiscent of a set from the Three Musketeers! Many old buildings still exist, but the site has a really large, modern and well equipped uni-sex shower block to the back of the big stable block, with very clean facilities. Behind the chateau the pitches are located either side of the large rear garden walls, with more of an open feel than in front of the chateau, where the grounds are wooded and separated by hedges and trees. There was also another small shower block in the woods with all facilities, which although it seemed unused by anyone, I used the shower there and it was perfect – if a little heavy on insect life. The electrics here require a 2-pin adaptor to hook up UK cables, but we had no problem with electrics from what looked like rather decrepit looking supply boxes. There is free Wifi, although this only worked on my devices within about 50ft of Reception. The young girls in Reception were very pleasant and helpful, although it only opened at about 9:30am (or shortly after). Unfortunately there was usually quite a wait in Reception because it is also a hotel and only one person on duty at a time, plus they have to cover the quite large shop behind too. There is also a bar/restaurant in a rather beautiful corner of the courtyard next to a small millpond, which we didn’t actually patronise, but seemed very pleasant. The open-air swimming pool and children’s play area are right at the very back of the site, but didn’t appear to be open while we were there. We had a cheeky walk round the main buildings and investigated the chateau itself (not so much a castle, more what we would call a manor house), and was invited in by the owner himself; a charming gentleman who took great pride in telling us the story of the chateau (previously a school during WW1 for Belgian children, then a hospital in WW2) and showed us the elegant rooms and the view across the lawns to the rear. Quite a treat. We found this site quiet, peaceful, and quirky, and being in the war zone after D-day you could almost imagine the Allies had just pulled out after using it as a headquarters. It’s close to Caen, Bayeux, Arromanches, and Ouistreham.
msgoodchild
Reviewed on 11/09/2015 14:18
