Charity Cottage

John and Rosy Rabson's award-winning home from home in the Morvan

Where is Burgundy?

The Morvan is marked in blue

Why Charity Cottage? Well, it offers visitors a holiday home from home with the added satisfaction of helping a worthwhile charity – because every penny goes to Combat Stress. Formerly the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society, Combat Stress cares for UK veterans who have been traumatised by their harrowing experiences during their Service career. Click to find out more about Combat Stress here.

The Morvan is a breathtakingly beautiful Parc Naturel et Régional in rural Burgundy – think of the Dales with better roads and fewer crowds. It is here that we settled in 2005. In 2012 we put the finishing touches to Charity Cottage in our garden at Maré le Bas, a pretty hamlet between Corbigny and Lormes and equidistant between the Channel and the Mediterranean. Click on A French cottage, a digger and a missing cedilla.html to read our story. In spring 2013 Charity Cottage won the British Charity category in the Daily Telegraph's Best of British promotion, and we've got the trophy and certificate to prove it.

The Morvan offers many pleasant places to stay – try the Parc du Morvan Tourist Office for places and prices. You will not find Charity Cottage there, however, because we do not want to attract clients away from anyone who runs a gîte or B & B as a business.

Charity Cottage sleeps up to five, with a spacious double bedroom and double and single sofa beds in the living area. There is a shower room and loo, a well-equipped kitchenette, and crockery, cutlery and glassware for six people. Everything a discerning guest would expect is provided, plus everything they would hope for but would be unlikely to find in a commercial holiday home. There are the obvious things like private parking, a microwave, garden furniture, a hair-dryer, towels and tissues. There are also the twiddly bits like a sewing kit, umbrellas, books, a hot water bottle, a radio, writing materials, tourist information with suggestions for local shops and eateries, coffee, tea and a welcome pack of bread, butter, milk, eggs and mineral water.

How much? Up to you. We ask for donations to Combat Stress. UK taxpayers can take advantage of Gift Aid, which is the nearest thing we know to a present from the taxman. Like Bilbo Baggins, we are fond of visitors and we look forward to meeting you.

Contact details: rosemary.border@numeo.fr ; tel +33 386 20 25 50