I know we don't really have a homestead per se. It was, by and large, a holiday home when we bought the property and we've learned a lot about the history in the time we've lived here.
The house as advertised by the estate agent
For example, the house was built in the 1970s and had 4 bedrooms, with two garages under the house. The drive sloped down to the access to the garages and the back of the house is two-storeys. The property has a 'Périgordian' roof which is traditional construction for the area.
The outside of the house doesn't seem to have changed since it was built, but now it has 3 bedrooms and one of the garages has been converted into a 1 bedroom apartment with a lovely bathroom. We altered the apartment around a little to lose the living room area and add a double bedroom area. This is a temporary measure, closed off by curtains. This means a family, or friends that don't mind sharing can come to stay and have the relatively private space downstairs. The curtained-off double bedroom is also easier to make and keep warm in winter.
Cozy
To the South side of the property is a field and a barn. We did some work on the barn when we first arrived and had a concrete floor installed. This means we can use it eventually for stables if we want to. We've fenced off the barn so the horses can graze without getting into trouble.
That field and the barn itself were part of a large purchase by the previous owners. They seemed to buy-up parcels of land that bordered their property in order to prevent someone else building on their view. It has benefitted us and we consider ourselves fortunate.
The Vineyard Paddock across the road is (we believe) another part of their purchasing strategy. The vineyards in the whole of this area of France failed in the 1950s although the remnants of the vineyard here can still be seen. We have a few tendrils growing in the woods and some of the furrows used for the vines remain.
So far, we have planted fruit trees in the orchard, tended and maintained the woodland across the road, cut grass, made hay, built a greenhouse and a henhouse and renovated an old, ramshackle field shelter. The ongoing work of mending fences takes up a lot of time and making new fences is another big job we take on in lumps here and there.
The last few days have been spent making a fence to stop the horses from trampling on the new and unstable bank on the front of the field shelter. The area has already grassed itself and I planted blackberry/bramble roots when they were uprooted during some of the work we've done so far. Not all of the roots survived, but, knowing the tenacious nature of bramble, I have no doubt it will spread. I planted the roots along the bank for a couple of reasons. The first was to try to stabilise the newly-deposited earth, the second was to discourage the horses as they are heavy and will destabilise the ground more and the third is for the fruit - not necessarily for our use, the wildlife are welcome to eat the fruits when they eventually arrive.
The Project: Renovate Field Shelter for use as shelter, Tack Room and Hay storage
Short clip of ponies with original ramshackle field shelter in background
Half of the fence posts were put in place when the ground was prepared for the renovation of the field shelter. Those posts were pushed into the ground by the driver of the mini-excavator (our son). I hammered more stabilising posts at the top of the bank to try to ensure the earth didn't move as we worked on it all.
The last two days have been spent putting the boards in place (after sourcing them from our woodpile), putting in extra posts between the original ones and fitting the boards and top rails to make sure the horses can graze on the bank, but not get onto the bank.
First fence to enclose the stable yard
Quite a steep bank
Someone has a new chainsaw
ME! It's me! I have a new chainsaw!
Almost there
Grass mowed
I think we're just about done. I'll put a sun shade, table and chairs on the grass and watch nature pass by
Next week will be a lot of hard work, we're hoping to get a field of hay cut, dried, tedded and brought in!