La Faye is similar to many hamlets or ‘villages’ as they are called by locals in France in that it once had a self sufficient farming community in place up until the 1970’s. The houses and barns and outbuildings mostly date back to the late 1700’s, so for over 200 years people had lived here sharing the same lifestyle.
When we first arrived in 2004 a walk around La Faye revealed a well where villagers sourced their water, a small bakehouse with bread oven in tact, a recessed drinking well where cattle were led to drink and buildings showing agricultural and domestic use. The oven in the bakehouse cannot be seen now, and the well is no longer visible. Even though these things have gone from sight the hamlet has a quiet, simple and gentle beauty that suggests a time in the past where people lived in self contained and self sufficient communities.
One of our friends lived here until he was around ten years old. He remembers a large group of around 60 people eating in the long rectangular area of our main house. It served as the salle de feté or village hall where families dined together to celebrate the harvest or other festive event. Someone would provide music with the violin and there was dancing. Even if La Faye has an abandoned and ruinous air about it there is underneath an atmosphere of warmth and simple beauty which we love sharing with people.
The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular here, and the fields surrounding us of wheat, rape, maize and sunflower provide an ever changing and spectacular backdrop; but what we love most about La Faye is the blissful quiet which seems to bathe one and which in this ever changing noisy world provides a healing balm for the soul.
On our site for Le Studio Gite, Maison Marguerite and La Grange is a magnificent 12m x 6m swimming pool to use at your leisure.