My partner and I stayed at this lovely B&B at the end of December 2012. We were looking for a…read morequiet spot in the countryside and aside from hearing a few cars pass on the road, it was peaceful. We were also fortunate enough to be the only guests staying, and had our choice of rooms.
The guest rooms are located in a separate building from the house. Our room was up one flight of stairs. It had pink wallpaper, darkened wooden beams, and a lot of character. We liked it, with the possible exception of the mattress which was a bit difficult to sleep on and could probably stand to be replaced. However, we saw plenty of signs that the property is being improved: Philippe (one of the proprietors) was busy painting the walls one day, and another day a plumber was fixing the heating in the room next to ours (our heater worked just fine).
Our room was equipped with a hot water kettle (as well as tea sachets and a couple of biscuits), which we made a fair amount of use of after our cold treks through the countryside. There is also a small kitchen in the building with a microwave and fridge, although this is accessed through a separate door. Because the building is apart, you can come and go as you please without worrying about disturbing the proprietors. Sometimes the dogs (or cats) may be roaming the area, but they are friendly and are trained not to jump on you. There didn't seem to be animal hair in the rooms.
It is about a 20 minute walk from the train station in Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise and maybe a little difficult to find the first time. If you see donkeys, you are in the right place. The next day our hostess Marie-Christine directed us to a footpath which gave us a nicer route to town.
Our hostess was remarkably kind. You go to the main house for breakfast at the time you have pre-arranged. It is a typical french breakfast, with croissants and baguettes, served with butter, jams, and cheese. There is orange juice and yogurt, and your choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Marie-Christine brought us a number of brochures of the area and offered suggestions for us on places to eat and things to see. She also checked with us to find out when it would be a good time for her to clean our room, which was nice of her. When I expressed an interest in the house, she also talked to us about when it was built and showed us some details in the dining room.
But where her generosity really shone was when we decided to go to Arras for the day. She gave us a ride in her car, then went in to the station with us to negotiate our tickets although we did not ask her to. She was concerned about an upcoming strike and spent some time discussing the matter with the person behind the counter. It turned out there was a strike which affected our proposed departure, and so she went far beyond our expectations by giving us a ride to Arras, where we were able to catch another train! Of course we offered to reimburse her for her petrol costs, but we were completely overwhelmed with her generosity, kindness, and interest in our wellbeing.
We had a lovely time here and thought the price was quite reasonable for the quality of the accommodations, and insufficient for the level of service we received.
