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Girard - Girard, Gironde

A tranquil escape to inspire creativity, deep in wine country near Bordeaux

Girard is a very special place. The estate was once home to a small hamlet, which, when the new church was built down the road, upped and moved in its entirety. There are close to 50 acres to explore at Girard, which you share with deer, wild boar passing through, and many interesting bird species such as the rare Golden Oriole. Even owners Sara, English, and her French husband Stéphane are still in the process of discovering it, though they'll show you its many curiosities, like the ancient, traditional sawmill. Here, Sara has created the perfect place to inspire you, rescuing a vintage Airstream all the way from America and adding a hand-built writer's cabin to make a quirky two-space retreat where the words will flow. Roam amongst oak and beech woods, wander through areas of wilderness, meander across meadows and travel the trails to the stream (where there's fishing, in season) at the bottom of the hill.

The Girard Estate

Privately located amidst stunning countryside, at the end of a tiny rambling lane, lies Girard. This 50-acre estate was once a small hamlet - as the ruins testify, though nature is busy reclaiming them - and the old farmhouse restored diligently by Sara and Stéphane is surrounded by countryside, vines and woods. Fenced for many years, it has become an enclosed haven for wildlife, including a family of eight wild boars, who despite being shy are sometimes glimpsed near the house.

There were no habitable dwellings on the property when Sara and Stéphane moved here with their children, so they imported an airstream from Jacksonville to live in whilst they restored the old farmhouse. Short of a challenge, they decided to convert the airstream into a wonderful living space for guests and built the writer’s cabin to go with it. Together, the two spaces just 'fit': one chrome, one wood; one relaxing, one inspiring; one catching the morning's first rays, one basking in the evening sun.

About your hosts

Sara moved to France many years ago in search of an idyll she remembered from childhood. After looking for the perfect spot to call home, she finally settled in Girard in 2011 with her husband Stéphane, who built the writer's cabin and is always occupied with some handy project or other. Together, they've worked hard to turn Girard into the perfect retreat and a deeply creative place. A writer herself, Sara is also a bit of an expert when it comes to antiques, with a passion for fragments of the past and a great eye. The St Michel market in Bordeaux has supplied many new finds, a select few of which have been incorporated into the space.

Wildlife and Environment

writer's retreat - boar

No pesticides are used on the land at Girard and Sara believes strongly in recycling. She loves reusing old things – virtually nothing except the Nespresso machine is without a past life somewhere.

The bird life here is truly extraordinary: a huge variety of species pass through, including several nesting pairs of bright yellow Golden Orioles, considered to have the most beautiful of all birdsong. In the valley by the stream there are a variety of interesting mosses, ferns and orchids. Girard is a unique landscape of woods, parkland, heather and gorze, where you may find deer, foxes, badgers, wild boar, birds, insects, lizards and much, much more...