What is Kervéguen?

Kervéguen is the name of our family smallholding near Huelgoat, in beautiful Finistère, Brittany. The house and gite are situated in unspoilt countryside on the edge of a national park. Despite the rural location, we enjoy good access to the North Western ferry ports of France (Roscoff, St. Malo, Caen & Cherbourg) and to Brest airport. The lovely little lakeside town of Huelgoat is just a mile away, with its magical forests to discover. The spectacular coasts of west and north Brittany are less than an hour away by car...

The smallholding comprises the house, the gite and an atelier (artist's studio) all set within six acres of land devoted to producing organic food. The garden has beautiful views over unspoilt Breton countryside. We are increasing our stock of animals all the time, but you can expect to meet pigs, goats, ducks, geese, guinea fowl and hens!

Our gite accommodates up to four people. You can see all the details here. We're very proud of the gite and we hope you'll think it shows! We would like to fill it 365 days a year with like-minded people and, with this aim in mind, invite you to consider a holiday here...

We offer gite holidays, art courses and working holidays in the garden: or a combination of all three! Don't hesitate to ask for a quote if you wish to create your own holiday made up of different activities...

About working holidays at Kervéguen

A working holiday at Kerveguen will give you a taste of 'the good life' - you will get hands-on experience of the reality of looking after farm animals on a small scale and growing fruit and vegetables - whilst enjoying all the comforts of staying in our popular gite.

This isn't a boot camp! The emphasis is upon steady progress in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Generally, we'll discuss what needs to be done and agree a course of action according to your preference: either working alongside us or going your own way...

Don't be concerned if you're not used to heavy work; it's not all macho stuff like digging and trenching! There's plenty of sowing and tending to plants and animals to be done... whatever your capability, please contact us and discuss your preferences.

We will provide all tools and equipment, but you will need to bring your wellies, waterproofs and a relaxed attitude to getting muddy!

How much is it?

Three to four hours' work in the garden a day earns substantial discounts on one of our standard gite holidays. It's possible for two people to stay for a week for just £75!

Generally our working holidays are only available outside the peak times, i.e. in the period from 21st October to 15th March - but you may be able to bag a last minute bargain even at peak times! You can keep an eye on the availability on our Brittany Ferries web page. If you book through Brittany Ferries we will give you a code to receive a substantial discount on the ferry fares.

We calculate the discount based on the number of work sessions you're prepared to put in. It's not possible to cover all the permutations here, so please contact us for a quote. Maybe only one of your party considers a few hours' a day digging a good holiday: no problem, we'll adjust the price accordingly.

As an example, two people staying in February who choose to work for four hours per day (not including arrival and departure days) can stay for £75 per week, including electricity, linen and towels.

Don't forget, when the work's done your time is your own and the full facilities of the gite and the beautiful, rugged surroundings of Finistère are available to you to enjoy.

About the garden, and the gardeners...

The garden at Kervéguen is divided into two former meadows. One field accommodates our pigs and goats, the other three acres are being converted into an organic orchard and kitchen garden. The latter area is on a south-facing slope and is divided into five plots, each about the size of a large allotment. When you're having a breather from the gardening, there are beautiful views over unspoilt Breton countryside...

We garden according to organic standards. We use minimal machinery and pefer traditional tools such as azadas and scythes. Accordingly, after one year of hard slog there's still plenty yet to be done! The autumn/winter seasons are very busy as we aim to have all our beds and much of our sowing done by the end of March. A large batch of fruit trees arrives at some point around the New Year so there's lots of planting to be done too...

The winter weather can be wet or cold (rarely both) but with large greenhouse and polytunnel areas there's usually something to do indoors! We've known t-shirt weather in February, so it's best to be prepared for anything weather-wise!

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Looking after things during your stay will be the resident owners, Max and Emma Akroyd plus our four young children. Max claims responsiblity for most garden-related matters on a day-to-day basis while Emma concentrates on her artistic endeavours, but everyone helps out when necessary! Although by no means gardening gurus, we have lots of practical experience in trying to support ourselves from the land, and we believe you will find a stay here interesting and informative.

The (not so) small print...

You will receive full details of the gite rental terms in the booking pack but there are a few things you'll need to know now:

• a £75 security deposit is payable, in cash, at the beginning of your stay. This will be paid back to you on the day of departure, less the cost of any breakages or damage. Also, to deter anyone tempted to get a very cheap non-working holiday, this deposit will be retained by us, in whole or in part, if you are unwilling or unable to contribute the agreed hours of work during your stay.

• the costs of electricity and central heating are included in the cost of your holiday. During very cold weather, if you require additional heating we can provide an electric heater, but a heat supplement of £15 will be payable.

• Our gardening is low-tech! You will not be asked to use any machines. Please ensure, however, that you have obtained adequate travel insurance to cover you for any accident or injury during your working holiday. We do not accept any liability in this regard.

Customer testimonials

From the guestbook:

"Wow! Wow! Wow! have had the most fantastic time staying in this lovely gite, which is located in a beautiful part of France. The weather has been hot & sunny every day, so it has been great for exploring the magical Huelgoat forest, walking the north Brittany coastal path and relaxing outside in the amazing grounds of the gite. Max, Emma & family have been wonderful hosts - so friendly, helpful & accommodating. The gite is so clean, fresh, tidy and well-equipped - it has everything you need for a comfortable stay. We will definitely be back later this year, but for longer than one week! Thank you so much Max, Emma & family for a fabulous, relaxing week!!"

Mr & Mrs M., Monmouthshire (14-21 March 2009)

"We found the fields of our childhood in your back garden - bliss. Thank you for everything."

Mr & Mrs D., Devon (15 - 22 May 2009)

"We've had a fantastic week here and wish it could have been longer. Max, Emma and family have been great hosts, very friendly and helpful. The gite is delightful and perfectly positioned to explore the surrounding area, though it's perfect for spending a quiet day in if you just need to recharge your batteries. We'd definitely like to come back again. Thank you Max, Emma & family."

Mr & Mrs P, Oxfordshire (22 - 29 May 2009)
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"We have had a wonderful week, lovely accommodation. Max & Emma have made us very welcome. We could not fault anything. The weather was beautiful. We could not ask for more. Many thanks."
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Mr & Mrs S, Kent (20-27 June 2009)
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"Perfect hosts in a perfect setting and great value for money. The gite is lovely and we have had great week relaxing more than anything. Would highly recommend Kerveguen to anyone..."
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Mr D and Ms G, West Yorkshire (11 - 18 July 2009)