When we retired at the end of 2000 from our pub, The Swan Inn, Dawlish, we felt we couldn’t just sit around for the rest of our lives doing nothing. What we needed was a project that also involved somewhere to live and the renovation of an old house seemed ideal – provided we could find one at the right price and without restrictions on what we could do (within reason, that is!)

It soon became clear that nowhere in the southern UK was going to provide us with what we wanted so we tried the Châteaubriant area of eastern Brittany and found an ideal cottage here in Le Cornillet, solid walls, good roof, upper floor installed and water and electricity connected – just!