La Ferme d’Escures

La Ferme d’Escures is at the hamlet of Escures, in Terres de Druance, in the Calvados, in the heart of the Normandy bocage, surrounded by woods and crossed by the Druance. Caen is 40 minutes away, the coast an hour, Paris 2 hours 30, and the Suisse Normande (Clécy, Pont-d’Ouilly) about twenty minutes.

This is not a typical campsite: it is above all an educational farm, which has welcomed schools, leisure centres and groups for more than 30 years, and an events venue (weddings, seminars, family meals) able to host up to 100 people. The farm campsite is aimed at groups (mini-camps, leisure centres) and families on holiday. It has a washroom block with 4 showers, 5 toilets and basins, compost toilets, a washing-up area and a shelter with picnic tables.

The farm also offers two group gîtes, Le Cerisier (up to 23 people) and Le Rosier (up to 14), as well as a small studio for two people.

Opening period: the campsite is announced as open from April to October, at €5.50 per person per night, and €10 for a motorhome. The website publishes neither dates nor winter rates for the gîtes and the studio, and states that visiting hours must be requested by phone. Off-season opening for holidaymakers passing through should therefore be confirmed with the campsite on 02 31 69 62 95.

The campsite’s facilities remain basic, in keeping with a farm: a washroom block with four showers and five toilets, compost toilets, a washing-up area and a covered shelter with picnic tables. Electricity is available for an extra charge, at €5 per 24 hours, and the motorhome pitch costs €10 a night.

The farm provides catering mainly aimed at groups and events: buffet brunches from 15 people, farmhouse and country buffets, half board or full board for groups of 10 to 35 people, with produce from the farm and from neighbouring producers, organic and local. A table d’hôte and breakfast option is also available on request for walkers on the Mont-Saint-Michel pilgrim route and for small groups.

Farm products are also sold (ciders, juices, jams, soups, seasonal vegetables). A local produce shop is held on Fridays from 5.30pm to 7pm at Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, not on the site. No swimming pool is mentioned.

Campers have access to the animal park, a volleyball court, a maze and the trails that cross the wood to the river and the pond. The small livestock includes pigs, ponies, sheep, a cow, goats, rabbits, hens and ducks. Independent visits to the park are possible, on a pay-what-you-wish basis, but opening hours must be requested from the campsite.

The educational farm organises workshops for groups, by reservation, from age 3 or 4: from seed to bread using the farm’s old oven, milk processing and butter making, animal care, vegetable garden, nature walk and, in autumn only, apple juice making with the small press.