A link to a video of The Farmhouse can be sent on request or can be found on hamilton holiday houses site.
LOCATION
Rural France on your doorstep just 45 minutes from Calais.
Situated in the centre of the village of Delettes, near St Omer, The Farmhouse nestles in the valley of the river Lys, surrounded by the rolling countryside of southern Pas de Calais. The Farmhouse and other buildings create a huge courtyard which is a private and secure sun trap. To the rear of The Farmhouse there is a large garden and completely secure swimming pool.
ABOUT THE FARMHOUSE
Our family came to The Farmhouse at Delettes in 1989 as a retreat where we could relax and have lots of fun. Our guests who have been coming to us since 1989 tell us that the fun continues, and they also find the same relaxing atmosphere, as well as enjoying all the facilities The Farmhouse offers, which make a really great holiday, even if it is only a weekend break.
The Farmhouse was set up as a family home and we have kept it as a home from home, equipped for comfort and relaxation. It has full oil-fired central heating and constant hot water. It has four bedrooms sleeping up to 9 persons but can sleep up to 10 - 12 people on a sofa bed and inflatable mattresses or larger parties depending on the mix of adults and children. Our housekeeper, Anne-Marie, lives close by in the village.
It is great at any time of year, whatever the weather. There is plenty to do for children of all ages (and their parents, grandparents and friends). There is a games room with a table-tennis table and table football, a large selection of music, lots of books, an activity barn off the courtyard with badminton and a full-size trampoline, and a large garden. The heated pool is normally open from end of April to end of October. But check as it can depend on weather at each end of the season
Families who have stayed say it is one of the most relaxing holidays they have had, with the children fully occupied, and plenty of private spaces for everyone to enjoy. Over the years, our guests have used the farmhouse for everything, from celebrating anniversaries and reunions, to spending a quiet romantic weekend 'à deux', enjoying the tranquillity of the house and garden.
It has a calming atmosphere all of its own, as well as an ability to seemingly expand to absorb large parties and to feel homely if there are only two of you. Perhaps it is something to do with being the site of a monastery farm for many centuries and being able to shut out the world with the enormous courtyard gates. Who knows, but families who have stayed and come back again and again have said it is one of the most relaxing holidays they have had, as the children are fully occupied and there is plenty of space for everyone to enjoy themselves.
If your booking ends on a Sunday you can usually leave as late as you like, especially useful for weekend bookings. Please check with us first.
Come and visit and experience the magic of The Farmhouse at Delettes.
Further details
All house linen including bath towels are included. Please bring your own swimming towels. There are no extras for utilities. If you use the telephone there is an honesty box for putting in an appropriate payment. Firewood for the log burning stove is free.
Well behaved dogs are welcomed. Please confirm with us first of all. We do make an extra cleaning charge of £30. There are 2 metal dog bowls and towels.
We allow smoking outside in the courtyard and garden but not in the Farmhouse or barns. We ask you to be careful with your cigarette ends and make sure you put them out and pick them up as there is a lot of wood around in the barns.
The swimming pool is heated by an air pump and solar cover and is normally available from end of April to end of October. Opening and closing dates of the pool can vary depending upon the weather, so please check. The pool, which is in a secure high walled area, is locked when not in use or supervised.
We have limited disabled facilities at ground floor level. Please check before booking. With ramps in place we are wheel chair accessible on the ground floor and to the pool. The person concerned would need to sleep in the games room on the sofa-bed. To use the downstairs shower you will need to bring your own shower chair.
If you are interested in lake or river fishing, riding, or golf then please enquire on booking for details.
Further details indoors
The Farmhouse was set up as a family home and we have kept it as that, a home from home, equipped for comfort and relaxation.
DOWNSTAIRS
The Salon is furnished with three large sofas, a coffee table and a rocking chair. There is a stereo record player, CD player and tape deck with a large and eclectic selection of records, tapes and CDs. It is a great place to chill out with a book and listened to music with a glass of something or just to sit and chat, especially in winter when the wood-burning stove is lit.
The panelled Dining Room has a great ambience in which to enjoy good food and wine. It has a large pine table, eight dining chairs, and an antique pine dresser full of games. An additional table, chairs, and a child’s high chair, are available if needed.
The Kitchen is a foodie’s paradise, described by one of our visitors as "wonderfully over-equipped”. There is a cooker with an electric oven and gas hob, a large fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, blender, kettle, toaster and coffee machine. With a wide selection of pots, pans and utensils, including two fondue sets, the essential oyster opener and foie gras cutter, cooking is easy even for a large group if you are preparing meals with the excellent ingredients to be found in our local shops and markets. The kitchen door opens on to a terrace (a sun trap for breakfast) and the garden.
The Games Room has a full-size table-tennis table, table football, jigsaws, games, screen with HMDI connection for laptops, and DVD player. There is no external TV reception (although there are more DVDs than you could possibly watch in even a lengthy stay). Our visitors have commented that this encourages everyone (including teenagers) to become engaged in all the activities available at The Farmhouse. Although if you wish you can plug in your laptop for streaming to avoid missing your favourite sport.
One bookcase is devoted to the history of the area with an extensive library of WW1 and Hundred Years War reference books, regional guide books, walking routes, and maps. The other bookcase contains a full range of holiday reading. There is a sofa and a double sofa bed.
The Cellar opens off the hall and is useful for keeping wine, really smelly cheeses, and other food cool.
There is a ground floor wheelchair-accessible Shower-room and a Bathroom, both with heated towel rails. There is a separate wheelchair accessible WC. The Laundry Room opens off the bathroom. It has three washing machines (yes, really!), two tumble dryers and a large extra fridge.
UPSTAIRS
The Master Bedroom has a king size bed, an extra single bed at the side of the room, bedside tables, two pine wardrobes (with the largest collection of hangers in northern Europe) and a chest of drawers with a hairdryer. It overlooks the garden. The first twin bedded room has, a bedside table, a pine wardrobe and a pine chest. The next twin bedded room has, two bedside tables, and a pine wardrobe. The end bedroom’ has twin beds, a bookcase, a small pine wardrobe and a chest of drawers. The three twin bedrooms overlook the courtyard.
The upstairs Shower Room has a heated towel rail. There are two separate WCs with wash basins. One of these has storage space containing a Z-bed, electrically- inflatable single beds, 2 travel cots, a child’s high chair and a low chair. There is also as an ironing board and iron and hoover.
Further details outdoors
The Farmhouse and other buildings surround a huge courtyard which is a sun trap with its own micro-climate. It is completely shut off from the outside world by two enormous lockable wooden gates and is totally private.
A large planter shields the terrace area and there is enough room for younger children to zoom around on the ride-on toys (or bikes if they bring them) and not disturb the adults' more peaceful pursuits such as sitting and enjoying the sun with a drink. With the outside gates locked, the courtyard and garden provide a secure play and dog area. It has a large outside table seating 8-10 with an exttra table seating 4 persons and large sunshade.
The largest barn opening off the courtyard has a full-sized trampoline and a children’s swing set and climbing frame on a bark base. The rest of the barn has a concrete floor where we have marked out a badminton court under the barn lights. The barn next to the main gates has wood for the wood-burning stove.
There is a selection of ride-on toys for younger children and two goal posts with nets for use in the barn or the garden. The other Barn leads from the courtyard into the garden and has an indoor shed which holds garden chairs, bats and balls, extra badminton nets and lots of garden games, and extra tables and chairs if needed. The barbecues are stored in this barn.
The Swimming pool is surrounded by a high wall and screen and has a locked door for security. The pool is 10 x 5.2 metres and is kept clean by a salt-based electrolysis system. The pool area catches the sun all day long and is a sheltered sun trap with an ample sitting area. It is heated by air through a heat exchanger and solar cover and is normally about 28 degrees. There is a hot water shower and changing room opening off the pool area. The pool is normally available end of April to end of October but opening and closing dates will depend on the weather at each end of the season.
The Garden has a terrace outside the kitchen with a table and chairs, a parasol, and a lawn which is large enough for a game of cricket or five-a-side football. There is a large weeping willow tree at one end which provides a wonderfully shaded tranquil place to sit under, especially in the swing seat.