Wild Places, Wildlife

The area, and the garden, is rich with birds of all kinds – and sometimes you’ll see clouds of butterflies, including, if you’re lucky, swallowtails and silver-washed fritillaries. 

Barn owls hoot from the distant oak trees and bats replace swallows and martins at night.  On summer nights, you may see shooting stars in the sky –  and be lucky enough to see the twinkle of glow-worms in the garden. You'll hear toads and crickets.

In the woods around there are deer, wild boar, and other animals.  The region is good for mushrooms and other fungi – and not far away is the famous Centre Jean Rostand, a wooded glade with streams and ponds specially designed as a frog sanctuary.

An old railway line which runs for miles through the pleasant countryside in each direction from the village has been converted into a track for cyclists and walkers, and offers occasional picnic tables and illustrated wayside boards about local history.