The Sanctuary — the stone mill house, its deck and the fire pit on the sunlit lawn

Gavray-sur-Sienne · Normandy · France

A hidden mill in the heart of the forest

A characterful stone house for countryside holidays together — as a couple, with family, friends or colleagues. Streams, birdsong and space to unwind, just 35 minutes from Mont-Saint-Michel.

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4 bedrooms

Sleeps 8 guests

3 bathrooms

Freshly renovated

Private forest

Streams & waterfalls

Natural rock pool

Fed by the stream

The Mill

Where the water still turns the wheels of time

Tucked away in the heart of the forest, this beautifully renovated mill is surrounded by streams, waterfalls and lush greenery. It is a magical retreat in the Normandy countryside where you can truly relax and reconnect with nature.

Inside, light-filled rooms blend the mill's original stone and timber with calm, contemporary comfort — a conservatory lounge opening onto the garden, a dining room made for long meals, and four peaceful bedrooms under the eaves.

Couples, families, friends — and anyone who needs a quieter week in France.

The Grounds

A garden that feels like its own little world

The stream beside the house
Water running all the way around the house — the sound you fall asleep to.

Evenings by the fire
The fire pit on the lawn, the deck and the house rising behind it.

The rock pool

A natural swimming pool carved into the rock, fed by the mill stream — cool, clear and utterly private.

The treehouse

Perched among the branches, a hideaway for children by day and stargazers by night.

The greenhouse

Tomatoes, herbs and flowers growing under glass — help yourself to whatever is in season.

The deck

A spacious outdoor dining deck overlooking the garden, made for long summer evenings.

The play area

A wooden climbing frame with slide and swings among the trees — children play for hours while you stay on the deck, coffee in hand.

The coworking room

A bright room with a long shared table, a door that closes and Wi-Fi on high-speed fibre — work from the Normandy forest with the garden outside.

Who comes here

For couples, families, friends and colleagues

Four bedrooms sleeping eight, three bathrooms, and a garden that belongs to your group alone — space to share meals, relax together and explore Normandy as a couple, with family, friends or a small group of colleagues.

Couples

A romantic getaway in Normandy: a table for two on the deck, a fire on the lawn and the stream running all night. The nearest neighbour is hidden behind the trees.

Friends

Take the whole house: four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a long dining deck. Games in the playroom, the fire pit going late, and nobody watching the clock.

Families with kids

A nursery and a children's room, a play area among the trees, a treehouse and a rock pool fed by the stream — a Normandy family holiday with the garden in view from the house.

Switching off

A green, digital-detox escape: no road outside, nothing on a schedule. Walk the forest paths, swim in the stream, read in the greenhouse, leave the phone upstairs.

Remote work in Normandy

Space to share ideas, and quiet corners to make them happen. Our different workspaces let you come together around a shared table or retreat for a little focused time. Freelancers, remote workers and colleagues can trade the city for birdsong, with high-speed fibre Wi-Fi — then close the laptop and enjoy Normandy.

Discover our workspaces

Stay a little longer?

The Sanctuary also lends itself to longer stays. Take time to discover Normandy, work remotely in a different setting or simply enjoy the countryside at your own pace. As a couple, on your own, with friends or colleagues, imagine a few days, a week or more that feel like you.

Explore countryside stays

Gallery

Wander through the sanctuary

Woodland path across the lawn towards the stone house — The house through the trees

Stream winding around the garden beside the stone steps — Spring by the stream

Stone house behind colourful flower beds and a weeping willow — Flowers by the house

Two waterfalls flowing over stone in the woodland — The waterfalls

Stone house and pergola seen from the sunny lawn — A sunny day in the garden

Natural swimming pool with stone surround, flowers and a metal ladder — The natural pool

Guests sitting around the fire pit at dusk with lights in the trees — Together around the fire

Natural swimming pool with stone edge and woodland beyond — Pool in the woodland

Two children looking out over a green field with grazing cows — Countryside discoveries

Garden deck under a weeping willow, with treehouse, fire pit and play area beyond — Working from the deck

Living room with travertine table, baby swing and open kitchen beyond — Slow mornings

Sofas by the fireplace with the kitchen and dining table behind — By the fireplace

Long farmhouse table set for dinner in front of the kitchen — The farmhouse table

Playroom with rocking horse and open glass doors onto the garden — Open to the garden

Playroom with vintage bookshelves, toys and stone walls — The playroom shelves

Sofa in front of floor-to-ceiling windows onto the woods — A window on the woods

Bedroom with green velvet throw and green-tiled washbasin — The green bedroom

Reclaimed wood headboard with brass reading lights — Reclaimed wood headboard

Green bedroom with bamboo blinds and a cactus — Quiet green bedroom

Walk-in shower in deep green tiles with brass rain shower — The green shower

Gilded mirror above a pedestal basin on green tiles — Gilded mirror

Ground-floor WC with round brass mirror and Saint-Malo print — Ground-floor WC

Entrance hall with coat stand, shoe storage and key box — The entrance hall

Bright hallway with wicker trunk, herringbone floor and plank doors — A calm arrival

Entrance with glass doors open onto the deck and woods — Doors onto the garden

Wooden treehouse on stilts beside a stone path — The treehouse

White rose arches across the lawn leading to the greenhouse — The rose arches

Stone path through the arches to the greenhouse — Path to the greenhouse

Rattan chair and round table inside the greenhouse — Inside the greenhouse

Green outdoor table set for lunch beside a lemon tree — Lunch outdoors

Table laid with green floral plates beneath a willow — Under the willow

Shaded pergola and deckchair in front of the stone house — The pergola

Cream outdoor sofa under the pergola's dappled shade — Outdoor lounge

Pergola lounge with wisteria-covered porch behind — Wisteria and shade

Pergola lounge looking out over the garden and stone wall — Looking out

Wooden sun loungers beneath a fringed parasol — Sun loungers

Stone house front with wisteria and slate gables — The stone house

Cane chairs on the deck under the willow by the vegetable beds — A seat under the willow

Stepping-stone path leading to the fire pit and stone house — Path to the fire

Fire pit circle with the play area and treehouse among the trees — Play and gather

Stone house seen through the colourful garden beds — The garden in bloom

Long outdoor table beside the stone house and pergola — Dining by the house

Shared workspace with four chairs and doors onto the garden — Work with a garden view

Coworking table beside the white staircase and stone wall — A quiet workspace

Children's playroom with stone walls and glass doors onto the garden — The playroom

Table laid with green floral plates, sunflowers and a pink candle — A table for slow dinners

Cream retro oven and hob beneath a window onto the trees — Cooking with a view

Brass tap and stone bust by the kitchen window — Kitchen details

Kitchen and dining table under white beams with garden windows — Kitchen and dining

Kitchen with cream oven, travertine tiles and doors to the garden — The kitchen

Cream kettle, toaster and espresso machine by a window — Morning coffee

Dining table beside the fireplace with flowers on the table — Dinner by the fire

Living room with arched doorway, orange mirror and staircase — The arched doorway

Living room with baby swing beside an old stone pillar — A swing indoors

Floor chair and books beneath a window onto the garden — A reading nook

Wooden piano under the staircase beside a window — The piano corner

Stairwell with old stone walls, plants and a window onto the trees — The stone stairwell

Terracotta en-suite with twin basins and a window to the garden — The terracotta en-suite

En-suite with terrazzo tiles, twin basins and walk-in shower — Terrazzo and terracotta

Walk-in rain shower beside a window onto greenery — The walk-in shower

Twin basins and rounded mirrors in the en-suite — Twin basins

Downstairs WC with rattan sunburst mirror — Downstairs WC

Terracotta bedroom with French windows onto the garden — The terracotta room

Double bed and arched doorway to the en-suite — Arch to the en-suite

Bedroom with arched mirror and open window to the trees — Morning light

Open balcony window looking onto green foliage — A window onto the forest

Cream bouclé armchair reflected in a mirror — A quiet corner

Gable window framing the trees in an attic bedroom — The gable window

Double bedroom with rattan headboard and pendant — Rattan and linen

Family room with cabin bed beside an old stone wall — The family room

Double bed and children's cabin bed under the beams — Room for little ones

Nursery with wooden cot and window onto greenery — The nursery

Nursery with woodland animal wallpaper and cot — Woodland wallpaper

Children's room with stone wall and green chest of drawers — Hello sweet forest

Sunlit landing with rattan cradle and tall windows — The landing

Vintage rattan cradle on the upstairs landing — The rattan cradle

Spiral staircase lined with framed prints — The spiral stair

Pink-tiled bathroom with bath under a sloping ceiling — The pink bathroom

Bath and pedestal basin beneath a skylight — Bath under the skylight

Classic pedestal basin against pink tiles — Pink tiles

Pink-tiled bathroom detail under the eaves — Bathroom detail

Normandy

Secluded, yet close to everything

The house sits on a quiet lane in the Sienne valley near Gavray-sur-Sienne, in the Manche department of Normandy. It feels wonderfully remote — yet the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, the coast and the D-Day beaches are all within an easy day's reach.

Mont-Saint-Michel35 min
Avranches & the bay30 min
Granville & the Chausey boats35 min
Ducey market town10 min
Utah Beach & the D-Day beaches1 h

On the water

Wade or canoe the Sienne, swim the rock pool at the bottom of the garden, then follow the tide out across the bay.

On foot and by bike

Waymarked paths run through the forest and along the valley, with Mont-Saint-Michel on the horizon on a clear day.

Markets and good tables

Cider, cheese, mussels and oysters from the local markets and the kitchens of Granville and Avranches.

The coast

Sandy bays, granite cliffs and the landing beaches of 1944 — each an easy day out from the door.

Day trips

The perfect base for exploring Normandy

Most guests come for the peace of the forest — and stay for everything Normandy has to offer. The region's great sights are all easy day trips, with a quiet garden to come home to.

Mont-Saint-Michel

35 min

The Wonder of the West rising from its bay — go early for the abbey, stay late when the crowds leave, and walk the sandflats with a guide.

The D-Day landing beaches

about 1 h

Utah Beach, the museums and the American cemetery — a moving day out through the countryside.

Granville & the Chausey islands

35 min

A fortified old town, the Christian Dior museum and garden, and boats to the wild Chausey archipelago.

Bayeux & its tapestry

about 1 h 15

A thousand-year-old story told in wool and linen, a magnificent cathedral and one of Normandy's prettiest towns.

Avranches & the bay

30 min

The scriptorium of the Mont's medieval manuscripts and botanical gardens with a view across to the abbey.

The Normandy countryside

from the door

Hedged lanes, cider farms, village markets and the Sienne valley — the quiet France visitors fall in love with.

Rates

Weeknight

350 €

Friday–Sunday weekend

1000 €

Month · 30 nights

5000 €

Rates →

Friends & family reunions →Celebrations in the countryside →Small team retreats →

Before your stay

Journal

Things to do near Mont-Saint-Michel →

Combine the abbey with a walk in Avranches, a coastal afternoon in Granville or a quieter day in the Sienne valley. Choose one main outing each day. Check opening hours and tickets on official attraction websites.

Where to stay near Mont-Saint-Michel →

The Mont itself is atmospheric, while a countryside holiday home gives you room to return to after a busy visit. Consider parking, the journey to the visitor car park and your preferred balance of sightseeing and quiet time. The Sanctuary is a private mill near Gavray-sur-Sienne, approximately 35 minutes from Mont-Saint-Michel.

Mont-Saint-Michel with children →

The village has slopes, steps and narrow streets: allow time, bring comfortable shoes and plan breaks. Check accessibility before bringing a pushchair. Choose an abbey ticket time that suits your family. Never walk into the bay without a qualified guide.

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Book your stay

Choose your dates

Pick your arrival and departure dates: we confirm every request personally, usually within 24 hours. You can also book instantly through Airbnb.

The forest is waiting

Choose your dates below and send us your request — we confirm every stay personally within 24 hours.

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