Le Pressoir de la Vieville

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Le Pressoir de la Vieville Le Pressoir is a group of self catering gites within an ex farm courtyard, tranquil & peaceful, just a short distance from a thriving village

Boutique hotel meets french rural charm... our gites are not your average holiday gite. Le Pressoir de la Vieville is packed full of french rural charm... from the yet to be renovated cider press to the small and sometimes decidedly quirky sculptures and artwork. Old meets new perfectly, with retained stone walls and original oak beams alongside bang up to date plasma screens, lighting fast broadband and modern kitchens and bathrooms.

04/10/2026

Countryside Comforts

When you live in the countryside your days are guided by natures clock and there’s something very comforting about that.

Harvests happen when the fruits and crops are ready, not before, not later. Walk wear is dictated by the weather, hats and scarves when it’s chilly or late summer wear on a day like today.
Ours walks today along our little lane were filled with dappled sunshine through the trees and the first of the falling acorns, crunching underfoot.
This evenings sunshine brought one of my favourite countryside sounds… a tractor in the field.
Gathering up the last of the summer goodness and making the last bales. That’s a view from our bedroom window that I find very comforting.

Then my 3 loves taking a slow stroll into the sunset.

03/10/2026

Comfort - a Saturday afternoon, a bowl of soup & the best butter in the world…

Today was one of those rare, lazy Saturday afternoons.

No changeovers to do, not quite cold enough for the woolly pullies, but the garden was full of those gorgeous autumn colours so Rob decided to get into the kitchen and make something comforting for lunch.

His delicious beetroot cream soup.

It’s like a gentle hug in a bowl.
It’s not fancy, it doesn’t take hours to make, it’s not packed with dozens of unnecessary ingredients. It’s just blinking lovely. Proper comfort food.

While Rob did his chopping, stirring, bubbling etc I had the hard job of getting the best butter in the world - the blue tub Motte.

If you haven’t had the sea salt Motte try and find some - it’s life changing if you love butter!
La Motte beurre au sel de mer (the best butter in the whole wide world) 🧈

It is absolutely delicious spread thickly on crusty French bread (and French bread is a whole other level of comfort food, isn’t it?)

The lovely thing about this butter is that it’s made with cultured cream, giving it that gorgeous rich, slightly nutty flavour, and it contains crunchy little crystals of sea salt.

And here’s my favourite thing…
Sometimes, when you cut into it, tiny little droplets of sea salty water escape from the butter. It’s like little drops of the ocean have landed on your plate!

How cool is that?

And because those of you who have followed my Christmas Countdowns for years know that I can’t resist a little fact…

Beetroot isn’t just pretty. It contains naturally occurring nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide - helping blood vessels relax and improving blood flow. It’s also a good source of fibre and contains plenty of useful vitamins and minerals.

So there you have it…

A bowl of warm, rosy soup, crusty French bread, ridiculously good salty butter and a lazy autumn afternoon.

How comforting is all of that? 🍂❤️

Comment below if you’d like the full healthy lowdown on beetroot, Rob’s recipe or more Motte butter facts…

I’ve commented below with some interesting ‘Beet Deets’ for you health conscious types 💗

01/10/2026

After our recent 26 for 26 series, someone called me a Content Creator but I’ve decided that I don’t really want to be a Content Creator…
I want to be a COMFORT CREATOR! 🍂

Because autumn is the season when we all want to slow things down.

I promise not to speak into one of those poncy little influencer microphones and influence you in any way.
I want to light candles, make soup, bake things, (well maybe not that one eh Jayne) gather apples, conkers and fallen leaves, go for muddy walks, bring branches and foliage home, make wreaths and table decorations, curl up with a book, drink far too much of Rob’s hot chocolate concoctions, rustle up a few autumn cocktails and find little ways to make ordinary days feel special.

I want to share the things that make home feel warm when the evenings get darker.
The recipes
The makes
The walks
The little seasonal traditions
The cosy drinks
The things I find in Normandy
The things I make around the house
The things I’d like to do with friends and family when we can be together

Think of this space as a little corner of comfort.
No pressure to be productive.
No pressure to have the perfect home.
No pressure to make everything Pinterest or Insta-worthy.

Just ideas, books to read, simple things to make, places to go, things to notice and little reasons to make the most of this beautiful season and perhaps most importantly… to slow down for.

There won’t be a schedule, it will all be a bit random, sometimes they’ll be posts from me personally, sometimes they’ll be about Le Pressoir... and if you have any Comfort ideas I’d love you to share them.
Welcome to my Comfort Creator era

Come and get cosy

01/10/2026

Nothing says Comfort like a salted caramel hot chocolate made by Rob to welcome October

Bonjour OctoberWe've got something new coming soon, so watch this space
01/10/2026

Bonjour October

We've got something new coming soon, so watch this space

26 for 26 | No.26 - Apples & 'The Apple Press'And so we arrive at number 26…When we started this little 26 for 26 advent...
27/09/2026

26 for 26 | No.26 - Apples & 'The Apple Press'

And so we arrive at number 26…

When we started this little 26 for 26 adventure, we wanted to share some of the places, experiences and little discoveries that make Normandy so special to us.

We've been to beaches and fishing ports.
We've eaten our way around Bayeux and shared our favourite restaurants.
We've admired pottery, gardens and beautiful villages.
We've explored D-Day history, flown over the beaches, watched the tides come and go…

And now, for number 26, I thought we'd come home.
Quite literally. ❤️

Autumn has arrived in Normandy, which means the orchards are filled with apples, c***r-making season is underway, and across the region you'll find apple and c***r festivals starting this weekend, through October, celebrating one of Normandy's most iconic ingredients. 🍎

The apple is so deeply woven into the character of this region that it seems only right that our final 26 for 26 gem should involve one too.

But there's a little twist…

Because here at Le Pressoir, our own, old c***r press has a rather unusual new lease of life -
We turned our old Apple Press into… wait for it... an Apple Press! 😂

But instead of fruity apples, it's now filled with something else that's played a very important part in my life…

Apple Macs
Over many years working as a designer, I've kept some of the technology that has travelled with me along the way - old Apple Macs, (including my first MacIntosh SE), iPads, iPhones, iPods, Shuffles and various other bits of Apple history.

So rather than letting them gather dust in a cupboard, they now have a rather more interesting retirement home - our old c***r press.

It's one of those things that makes guests smile every time they come to watch a movie in the C***r Press Cinema.

And I think it's rather fitting that something which was once used to press apples from our Normandy orchards now holds a little piece of my own apple based history.

Two very different kinds of Apple.
One belonging to the land 🍎
The other belonging to my design life 💻
And somehow, they both found their way to Le Pressoir.

And perhaps that's why this feels like the right place to finish my 26 for 26.

So as the apples begin to fall and autumn settles over Normandy, we'll raise a glass of something suitably Norman and say…
"We'd love to welcome you anytime - your welcome pack will include some local apple c***r, and right now, also fresh apples straight from our trees"

Thank you for coming along for the ride. ❤️

26 little gems.
26 reasons to love Normandy.
26 reasons to stay at Le Pressoir.
And one very unique Apple Press to finish it all off. 😂🍎💻

À bientôt from Le Pressoir.

To celebrate the official start of the Autumn Equinox today we have something special for you -AN AUTUMN OFFER DEAL THAT...
23/09/2026

To celebrate the official start of the Autumn Equinox today we have something special for you -

AN AUTUMN OFFER DEAL THAT'S SIMPLY UN-BE-LEAF-ABLE!

There’s something wonderful about the colours, tastes and experiences of Normandy in autumn.
Think of it as our very own Le Pressoir Autumnal Tapestry - it’s a little bit like the famous Bayeux Tapestry, but with considerably more apples, c***r & crunchy leaves… and A LOT less fighting!
(see last but one photo 😁)

The summer crowds have gone, the lanes turn golden and russet, the orchards are heavy with apples and there’s a wonderful sense that life has slowed down just a little.

Step out of your gîte and within moments you’re wandering along our beautiful, tree-lined country lanes - quiet, peaceful and increasingly spectacular as the leaves change colour. Perfect for a gentle morning stroll, an afternoon walk or simply getting out into the fresh Normandy air - special shout out to Matilda who recently enjoyed walks with JK, Robbie D and Marvin the Monkey (see if you can find him in one of the photos - he's totally adorable)

Walk the lanes (where Coop and Chilli have been known to discover deer, rabbits and even a wild boar once!)
Explore beautiful forests
Discover wonderfully quiet beaches
Come home to the peace and comfort of Le Pressoir

And then there’s the food…
Autumn is apple season in Normandy, and our region is famous for its apples, c***r and Calvados. It’s a wonderful time to explore the local c***r routes, visit producers, sample the harvest and discover some of the wonderful apple, c***r and food festivals.
One of our particular favourites is right here in Trévières - our local Fête de la Pomme. Expect C***r and Calvados tastings, apple pressing, local producers, crafts, cooking demonstrations and live music.

There are seafood celebrations too, with autumn being a fantastic time for local scallops and other treasures from the Normandy coast, celebrating the very best of our local produce.

So whether your idea of the perfect autumn day is…

🍁 A peaceful walk straight from your door
🍎 Discovering a local c***r producer
🥾 Exploring the forests
🌊 Walking along an almost empty beach
🥧 Finding the perfect apple tart
🍺 Sitting back with a glass of something local
🏡 Or simply doing absolutely nothing at all…

Autumn at Le Pressoir is a rather lovely place to be.

🍂 AUTUMN SPECIAL OFFER 🍂

To make an autumn escape even more tempting, we're offering 20% OFF our usual weekly rates from now until the end of October.

Gîte Molière
Usually £849 → AUTUMN OFFER £679

Gîte Renoir
Usually £959 → AUTUMN OFFER £768

And for autumn only, we're also offering 4-night stays - perfect for a long weekend or a little Normandy escape.

Contact us for dates, availability and 4-night prices.

Autumn in Normandy really is something special… and it’s waiting for YOU!

Thank you so much Jane and Patrick for your lovely words and fabulous gifts. I think Rob and are in for a very yummy eve...
19/09/2026

Thank you so much Jane and Patrick for your lovely words and fabulous gifts.
I think Rob and are in for a very yummy evening!!! 🥂🍫

We loved seeing you both again and are so impressed with how many things you did and places you visited while you were here!!

26 for 26 – No.25 | The Changing TidesSome of Normandy’s most beautiful sights are the ones that don't stay the same for...
17/09/2026

26 for 26 – No.25 | The Changing Tides

Some of Normandy’s most beautiful sights are the ones that don't stay the same for very long…

And this week's gem is something you can experience right here on our doorstep.

The tides of Normandy.

If you've visited our beaches in summer, you may have noticed just how dramatically the coastline can change. One minute there's an enormous expanse of golden sand stretching towards the sea… the a few hours later, the water has rolled right in, the beach has almost disappeared and the whole landscape looks completely different.

We never get bored of it because the sea writes a different story and picture every day.

The Normandy coast has some wonderfully dramatic tides, and September and October are particularly lovely times to experience them. Around the equinox and during the bigger tides, the difference between high and low water can be spectacular.

And that means that even somewhere you've visited before can feel like a completely new place.

Take Omaha Beach, for example.
It's less than 10 minutes from Le Pressoir and one of our favourite places for a stroll.

At low tide, you can walk for what seems like miles, explore the shoreline, look for shells and admire some of the amazing sand sculptures that appear and even make your own (as we did recently with some of our lovely younger guests)

Then slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, the sea begins its journey back.

And those little treasures you've found along the way?
Well… they're on borrowed time.

Which brings me to the photos I've taken for this week's post.

I'm rather fascinated by the sand sculptures and pebble towers (or little cairns) that people build along the beach.

Some are tiny. Some are surprisingly elaborate. Some look as though they've taken hours of very serious pebble engineering.

And yet every single one is temporary.

The tide will come in. The water will wash over them. And they'll be gone.
Perhaps that's part of their charm.

There's something rather lovely about creating something beautiful simply because it's beautiful right now, knowing that nature will eventually have the last word.

From the beaches around Arromanches and Port-en-Bessin to the wider Normandy coastline, the changing tides are part of the landscape and part of everyday life.

They reveal rock pools, sandbanks, shells and seabirds, change the way the light falls across the water and give photographers something new to discover every few hours.

This last week we also checked the tide times and took to the waves on a Duck Boat Tour at Arromanches, out around the Mulberry Harbour. It was fantastic, the commentary was fascinating and fun and the view up close was thought provoking and looking back to shore gave us a perspective we’ve never experienced before - we can highly recommend this tour.

So if you're thinking about a September or October escape, don't imagine that Normandy's beaches are just a summer destination.

Wrap up, grab your camera, check the tide times and go exploring.

You might discover a completely different coastline from the one you saw in July.

And if you happen to build yourself a little pebble tower while you're there…

**Take a photo… Because it probably won't be there tomorrow.** 😉

Our tip? Come for the beaches… but stay long enough to watch the tides change them.

P.S.
And talking of being inspired by the sea…

There was another special moment this week at Le Pressoir. Our lovely guests, Louise & Tony bought four of my original paintings - Silver Leaf Waves, Adrift, Tranquility and Before the Storm.

All four have this coastline, this sea and waves at their heart, so perhaps this week's pebble towers and changing tides were particularly appropriate!

I love the thought that a little piece of Normandy - and a little bit of my love for its coastline is now travelling home with them.

Perhaps that's another kind of changing tide… things you find here stay with with you long after you've left.

The sun has got its hat on again to give a hot and sunny welcome back to Jane and Patrick to Gite MolièreWe hope you hav...
12/09/2026

The sun has got its hat on again to give a hot and sunny welcome back to Jane and Patrick to Gite Molière

We hope you have a fantastic week.

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Le Pressoir De La Vieville,, Mandeville En Bessin
Mandeville-en-Bessin
14710

Téléphone

+33231101506

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