ArtSpace Gîtes guide to Fontaine-Daniel and surroundings

2019

ARTSPACE
GÎTES

FONTAINE-DANIEL

DO SEE EAT

Something a bit different Unusual places In and around Mayenne

Is2019 | 1 WELCOME TO
ARTSPACE
GÎTES

My name is Ursula Benjamin. I am
an author, and your host. I am
English/German and have lived in
France for the past five years.

I fell in love with Fontaine-Daniel
when, through a series of
wonderful co-incidences, I
discovered the village after one of
my books - The Source - was
translated into French.

ArtSpace Gîtes was founded in
2017 out of my passion for
supporting the arts, and it aims to
provide short residencies for artists
and creatives to come to the village
and be inspired. The residencies
are funded by the guests.

If you have any questions about
your stay, or would like a guided
tour of the village, you can contact
me on my mobile:
+44 7970 660 371.

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USEFUL INFORMATION

Websites
ArtSpace Gîtes
www.artspacegites.fr
Here you will find more information on events, places to go and where to eat/drink/shop/do as well as other random
facts about the local area.
Fontaine-Daniel
www.fontainedaniel.fr

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PRACTICALITIES

Cellular
The mobile phone signal in the village is not great, so
you might find that you don’t get calls or messages until
you leave!

Wifi
Maylis: Password: maylis123
Reflet: Password: reflet321
ArtSpace 8: Password: 8artspace

There is also free wifi in l’épicerie.
Lasource: Password: lepicerie

Taxis and car sharing
If you want a taxi, they are quite hard to come by, but
you can try calling Taxi Christine Durrand on 02 43 03
37 08.
Blablacar is well worth subscribing to as well.

www.blablacar.fr

Recycling
Recycling bins are in the kitchen.

Composting
A compost bin is at the far right of the garden behind
the bush.

Wood
Supplies are in the far-right shed opposite.

Linen
Please put used bed linen and towels into the bath
when you leave.

Washing machine and dryer
Use the small key to access the third door from the right
at the back of the building (car-park side).

Check-out
Check-out is 12 noon. If you want to stay longer, and
there is no-one arriving that evening, it may be possible.
Just ask. Please leave the key where you found it.

In case of emergency
UK mobile + 44 (0) 7970 660 371
French mobile +33 (0) 7 69 77 25 37
French landline 02 43 04 69 29

ARTSPACE GÎTES

ARTWORK

Artwork on the walls of the gîtes
The artwork is by local artists, and paintings are for sale.
All proceeds go directly to the artists.
Currently, most of the art is by Marc Girard who had a
retrospective exhibition in Laval in 2018.
He lives and paints in the village for part of the year. If
you would like to see more of his work, please contact
me.
Prices: €100 - €3,000

ART RESIDENCIES

ArtSpace Gîtes is proud to host art residencies four
times per year.
These residencies are open to full-time artists and are
for those who wish to come and experience the peace
and atmosphere of Fontaine-Daniel
Artists are encouraged to return and show their work in
the école gallery which is in the old school-room above
La Forge Restaurant.
So far we have hosted artists from the UK, Australia,
Canada and the Netherlands.
For more information, please contact me.

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POTTED HISTORY AND WALK-AROUND

THE ABBEY OF
FONTAINE-DANIEL

Fontaine-Daniel has been They even wove cloth, so fabric
inhabited for around 800 years, has been manufactured here in
first as an abbey and then, after Fontaine-Daniel for around 800
the revolution, as home to years.
Toiles de Mayenne.
The Cistercians lived and
The Abbey of Fontaine-Daniel worked here until the
was founded on a pilgrimage revolution, at which point there
route in the year 1206 by Juhel were only six monks remaining.
III of Mayenne, specifically for They were given the option to
monks to pray for his soul, in renounce their order and leave
perpetuity, when he set off to the Abbey, or to be executed.
the holy-lands on crusade. Not surprisingly they left, and
the Abbey and its surrounding
A magnificent church was built forest was left empty until both
within the Abbey, with a spire were parcelled up and
taller than Le Mans Cathedral. auctioned by the new
The church is one of the few government of France.
significant buildings from that
time not to have survived. Many of the buildings from this
period are still visible and,
The religious order at the significantly, in use today. La
Abbey was Cistercian, and at its Forge, on the square, was the
peak it contained around 500 blacksmith's. L’Amonerie,
monks. As well as a thriving which forms the ground floor of
community, they provided the building inside and to the
services to pilgrims, a place to left of the Toiles de Mayenne
sleep, alms and hospital entrance gates, was the alms
provisions, as well as a forge for house, and La Porterie, in
their practical needs. which mass would have been
said to the laity, now houses
It was a significant community, the grandest cowshed of all.
with 'white' monks – whose role You can find it by walking past
it was to pray, read and Le P’tit Monde Crêperie on the
contemplate - and others square, into the corner to the
known as 'brown' monks - taken right of La Forge. Finally, the
from the colour of their habits - small round building to the
who were the work force. They right of the lake is La Moulin,
tended the fields and animals, the mill, and also dates from the
made the wine, honey and time of the Abbey.
other produce, and worked in
the forge, generally doing the The Abbey itself still exists and
hard work which was essential is still inhabited, but it is a
to the maintenance of this small private building and therefore
village. not open to the public.

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POTTED HISTORY AND WALK-AROUND

SECOND LIFE:
TOILES DE MAYENNE

Once the land and the buildings The new village was
were sold, the second life of commissioned by the owners
Fontaine-Daniel began. of the Toiles de Mayenne
factory, the Denis family. The
They were bought by a fabric buildings, which were
specialist - Louise Biarez - and a designed according to the
merchant - Pierre Horem - 'Golden Rules', start at the
specifically for the large edge of the lake and
buidlings, the proximity to water continue up the hill as far as
for power, and the weaving the Toiles de Mayenne shop
tradition of the region. The at the beginning of the forest.
Abbey buildings were
transformed into a factory Martin Denis designed the
producing the fabric known as unusual fountain which you
Toiles de Mayenne. can see outside the crêperie.
The water comes from a
Weavers and their families were spring – La Source - and it is
encouraged to come to drinkable. He also designed
Fontaine-Daniel, and were the chapel which you can see
originally housed communally in to the right of the lake, and
the Abbey, above the cellar the Salle de Fêtes which is
where the brown monks had near the allotments.
once lived.
Walk out of the village
The technology for the first towards the forest and you
mechanised looms was brought will see the Toiles de
to Fontaine-Daniel by Sensitive Mayenne shop on the
Armfield, an English woman, as outskirts. This is a recent
her dowry when she married addition, built in the 1960s,
Pierre Horem. The looms were but the style is in keeping
installed into the Abbey itself. with the rest of the village.

After her husband's death she If you go upstairs in the shop,
ran the company alone until her you can see the balcony with
niece, Elizabeth, married Martin photographs and some of the
Denis. From that moment until history of the factory.
today, the Denis family
connection to Fontaine-Daniel Leaving the shop, you can
continues. continue along the road and
cross over to see a small gate
The Denis family had a strong in front of a long path which
social conscience and soon put leads to the Monastère de
a stop to the common practice Bois Salair. The nuns here are
of child-labour in the factory, Serbian Orthodox and it is
and buit a school for the well worth a visit.
workers' children. They built a
village hall and a church, and ARTSPACE GÎTES | 7
ensured the village had good
facilities for their workforce,
including allotments on which
to grow their own food.

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WHERE TO EAT

L’épicerie
This is a co-operative venture which you will find in the
building next door to the gÎte. It has all the usual
supplies, including organic wine and beers, a bar, a
library and a bookshop (including books in English),
and it regularly holds events such as concerts, talks,
tastings and craft events.

You will also find tourist brochures there. Elise, who
runs the épicerie, speaks English and can provide you
with plenty of information on things to do locally.
www.lepicerie.org

Au Pain Doré
This friendly boulangerie is on the main road opposite
the gîtes. It has a great selection of teas and coffees, as
well as nice bread and pâtisseries. There is a café inside
where you will often find local art exhibited, as well as a
cozy tea-garden behind the shop.

Le P’tit Monde Crêperie
This restaurant with a bar is on the square. It serves
burgers and steaks but specialises in savoury galettes
and sweet crêpes. It has an outside seating area (dog-
friendly) as well as a cozy snug with comfortable chairs,
and a fire which is perfect for chilly evenings. On week
days they also have a fixed-price three-course lunch.
This is a friendly place run by a couple, and I
recommend it for its fabulous crêpes. (My favourite is ‘le
petit monde’, but they are all delicious.)

La Forge Restaurant
This is also on the main square. It has an outdoor
seating area (dog-friendly – but check first). It is a nice
restaurant for a special occasion, but I recommend you
book. It also has a reasonably-priced lunch menu.

www.restaurantlaforge.info

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THINGS TO DO & SEE IN THE VILLAGE

Le Monastère de Bois Salair
Walk from the village up the hill and you will soon see the Toiles de Mayenne
shop on your right. Keep walking along the main road until you see a white gate
and long straight road leading into the forest. There will be a small sign which
says ‘Monastère de Bois Salair‘.

This is a Serbian Orthodox monastery with eight resident nuns. They make the
most wonderful candles and tisanes which you can buy from their shop and also
in the village at l’épicerie and the boulangerie. You can visit them too - I
recommend it, and the opening times can be found here:
www.monasteredeboissalair.com

Toiles de Mayenne
Walk out of the village and up the hill. You will find the shop on the main road
just as it starts to enter the forest. The building is in the same architectural style as
the rest of the village though it was built in the 1960s.

Here, you can find bolts of cloth as well as remnants. Walk up the stairs in the
centre and you will find the gallery.
www.toiles-de-mayenne.com

SHORT WALKS

The allotments
You will find these small plots by going up the road towards the salle
de fête.

In the forest
From the path in the middle of the allotments, walk to the end and you
will see one entrance to the forest. The path takes you to the left and
you will eventually come back round to the road which leads back to
the gîte.

At the lake
To the right of the lake, walk past the round mill building, up the steps
to the chapel, and follow the path along the lake. You can only go part
of the way around the lake.

To the lavage
Cross the bridge out of the village and you will find a small path to your
right, which leads you to the lavage. You will see the roof on your right.
This was built in the 20th century and was used for washing linen.
Inside you can see the fireplaces used to dry the linen.

ARTSPACE GÎTES

OUT AND ABOUT

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Lassay-les-Chateaux

30 minutes by car

A vibrant village with three castles and an ancient
rosary garden. Nice walks, cafés and restaurants.

Robert Tatin Museum

50 minutes by car

This is an extraordinary museum with art and
monolithic sculptures created by Robert Tatin in and
around his home. A must see!

Jublains

20 minutes by car

Village with a Roman archeological site and museum,
Roman bath visible in the church foundations.

Saulge

45 minutes by car

Prehistoric site with museum, in a gorge with beautiful
walks.

Sainte Suzanne

20 minutes by car

Walled, medieval village famous for the Sainte Suzanne
tarot. Heritage museum.

Mayenne

15 minutes by car

Tourist office, boat trips, shopping and castle museum
as well as lots to explore.

Bagnoles-de-l'Orne

20 minutes by car

Elegant spa town with lake, casino and unusual
buildings.

Brocantes/vides greniers
Type in the region 53, or ‘autour de moi’ to see where
the brocantes and vides-greniers are happening.

wChwawte.baruodceoblaraMco.ftrte Husson

17 minutes by car

Dick and Angel Strawbridge's chateaux as seen on
Escape to the Château on Channel 4.

www.chateaudelamottehusson.com

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RESTAURANTS IN MAYENNE

Here are some of my recommendations.

Mayenne La Carotte

15 minutes by car Convivial and healthy bistro with art exhibitions and
concerts.
Address: 14 ter Quai Carnot
Phone: 06 03 03 28 40

L’Eveil des Sens

Small and intimite restaurant. Michelin star.
Address: 429 Boulevard Paul Lintier,
Phone: 02 43 30 42 17

Lassay-les-Châteaux: Restaurant du Château

25 minutes by car Small restaurant close to the chateau. Good menu.
Exterior terrace.
Address: 37 Rue Migoret Lamberdière,
Phone: 02 43 04 69 02

Poulay Auberge Campagnard

20 minutes by car Nice in the summer with outdoor terrace.
Address: 440 bourg Poulay
Phone: 02 42 32 07 11

Saulges L’Ermitage

45 minutes by car Beautiful outdoor courtyard.
Address: 3 Place Saint Pierre
Phone: 02 42 64 66 00

Bagnoles de l’Orne Le Manoir du Lys

45 minutes by car Elegant restaurant. Michelin star.
Address: Route de Juvigny
Phone: 02 33 37 80 69

O Gayot

In the town centre. Nice atmosphere.
Address: 2 Avenue de La Ferté-Macé,
Phone: 02 33 38 44 01

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ARTSPACE GÎTES

URSULA - YOUR HOST

Instagram

ArtSpaceGites

Facebook

ArtSpaceGites

YouTube

ArtSpace Gites

Books
✤ The Soul Midwife
✤ The Lady Templar series
✤ The Source - A manual of everyday magic
✤ You Can Be Amazing - Transform your life with hypnosis
✤ You Can Think Yourself Thin
✤ The Clinical Hypnosis Textbook
TV Series

Sex, Lies and Hypnosis (Channel 5, 2005)

Websites

✤ www.artspacegites.fr
✤ www.fontainedaniel.fr
✤ www.ursulajames.info
✤ www.ursulabenjamin.com

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ARTSPACE GÎTES

1 Ruelle Sensitive
Fontaine-Daniel

53 100
Pays de la Loire

www.artspacegites.fr