In 2003 Lynn and Duncan Birtles moved from Kent to a small village in Seine-Maritime where they run a B&B in a former watermill. Lynn gives the low-down on the department she and her husband call home.
What were you doing before you moved to France and what prompted you to make the move?
We lived near Tonbridge in Kent. Duncan was a vehicle inspector and I worked for the University of Kent as an executive officer. While working for the university, I spent five years studying part-time for a degree in French. After I graduated I did some teaching for the adult education service and the university.
What attracted you to Seine-Maritime – did you know the area well?
In 1984 the university organised a trip to visit three gardens in Upper Normandy (Giverny, Bois des Moutiers and Le Vasterival) and this was my first introduction to this beautiful area and its wonderful gardens.
Being Francophiles, we had considered the idea of a holiday home in France and started looking around. Meanwhile, I was asked by a colleague to assist her with a day school on Normandy. Needing material and photos to illustrate my lectures, we came to Normandy and discovered more. We loved the peaceful green countryside and rolling hills. It also had the advantage of being easy to reach for weekends and short stays. We therefore decided to focus our search on this area.
What attracted you to the watermill?
I have always had a hankering to live near water, be it the sea, a lake or a river, and it was thus that we found our watermill, in the small village of Ste-Beuve-en-Rivière. Initially we went to view it out of curiosity, rather than with a serious intent, as it seemed too large for a holiday home. But once here, we rapidly fell in love with the mill and its idyllic location; and also saw its enormous potential.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company
If your current employer is happy to let you continue working for them after you move to France, there are a number of rules and regulations to be aware of to ensure you stay on the right side of the law, as Catharine Higginson explains
On vintage soil
Life in the vineyards of Aude is a dream come true for Leicestershire-born Katie Jones who now successfully exports her wines back to the UK, as Brigitte Nicolas learns
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
What happens if you are buying a French property but can’t attend the completion meeting at the notaire’s office in person? Matthew Cameron explains how a power of attorney can be used and how it works
In safe hands
There can be few more unusual homes than the 11th-century Château de Clérans, situated close to the Dordogne river in the Périgord Pourpre region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE
Robin Ellis made his name as the original Captain Poldark but a diabetes diagnosis led the Tarn-based actor to add cookbook writing to his CV, as Richard Webber learns
My frugal France
Embracing modern technology could save you money and time on both the pleasures and essentials of life in France, says Laura Harley as she shares some of her favourite French apps
Hidden Talents
Moving to France enabled these three expats to switch off from busy careers and in turn discover new creative talents, says Gillian Harvey, who counts herself among them
Beauty to behold
With its legendary vineyards, charming old towns and rich gastronomy, Gironde is quintessential France at its best, as Alison Weeks discovers
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
A Dordogne town, a Charente city and a Pyrenean village all have a starring role in three new films hitting the big screen this year, joining a long list of French locations that have gone before them, as Vicky Leigh learns
A local's view
Trish and Mark Tyler run a beautifully restored chambres d’hôtes, set in six hectares of park and woodland near StÉmilion, which has a fascinating history
