If you’re looking for a place to get away from it all then this renovated shepherd’s hut in France could be the tonic.
Buron de la Chambe is nestled 4,265 feet (1,300m) up in the Auvergne Volcanoes National Park close to the charming town of Aurillac. There is no Wi-Fi and there are no electric lights.
But there are stunning interiors, as these pictures reveal, with cosy bedrooms, log-burners and a functioning kitchen – all the result of a painstaking eight-year restoration project.
Great escape: Buron de la Chambe is nestled 4,265 feet (1,300m) up in the Auvergne Volcanoes National Park
There is no Wi-Fi and there are no electric lights. But there are stunning interiors, as pictures reveal, with cosy bedrooms, log-burners and a functioning kitchen – all the result of a painstaking eight-year restoration project
Owner Nancy Tate told MailOnline Travel that when she and her husband Martin purchased the hut, there was ‘grass growing through the roof and soil filling most of the rooms’. Pictured, the cosy dining area
The abode is lit solely by candlelight but there is a solar panel that provides enough electricity to charge electronics via a power outlet
Owner Nancy Tate told MailOnline Travel that when she and her husband Martin purchased the hut, there was ‘grass growing through the roof and soil filling most of the rooms’.
Explaining its original purpose, she said: ‘During the summer the shepherds would come up here to make cheese with milk from their cattle.
‘That is why the hut is half underground as it needed to be humid and cold to make the cheese. There was another place nearby where they would put the cattle and they would sleep above in a wooden hut.’
While the hut, or buron as it is traditionally known, was left to ruin, Nancy and Martin could see potential and they went about purchasing it in 2005.
To restore the structure to its former glory, with a few mod cons, they employed local tradesmen, with work beginning in 2009.
Nancy said it was a ‘painfully long project’ with each stone individually picked and as there is no road, supplies had to be carried in.
Explaining the hut’s original purpose, Nancy said: ‘During the summer the shepherds would come up here to make cheese with milk from their cattle
While the hut, or buron as it is traditionally known, was left to ruin, Nancy and Martin could see potential and they went about purchasing it in 2005. Pictured, the kitchen area
Local tradesmen were employed to restore the hut to its former glory, with a few mod cons added such as log burners
One of the bedrooms in the buron, with two single beds separated by a wooden beam
The hut can accommodate up to 10 people for a minimum of two nights between the months of May and October. Prices start from €1,250 (£1,077) for two nights with the third free or €2,200 (£1,900) for seven nights
But thanks to the couple’s hard work, the buron is now a luxurious lair, which Nancy describes as the ‘ultimate love nest’.
And just getting to Buron de la Chambe is an adventure in itself.
The journey involves a 30-minute hike up a gravel track, with luggage dropped off by a 4×4.
There are two bedrooms, a living room, dining area, kitchen, toilet and bathroom complete with a tub in an old stone trough.
Nancy said a particular highlight is an outdoor shower with ‘the best view in the world towards the mountains and beyond’.
The abode is lit solely by candlelight – but there is a solar panel that provides enough electricity to charge electronics via a power outlet.
In terms of supplies, there is a base kitchen in the buron with the likes of salt, olive oil and coffee, but extra supplies can be ordered in
Owner Nancy describes her holiday rental as ‘ultimate love nest’
A peek at the bathroom complete with a tub in an old stone trough (left), and the dining area with a rustic chandelier (right)
In terms of supplies, there is a base kitchen in the buron with the likes of salt, olive oil and coffee, but extra supplies can be ordered in.
There is a well outside with drinkable water or bottled water can also be provided.
Describing the type of guests they have welcomed since they started running their rental in 2017, Nancy says: ‘We’ve had all kinds of people from everywhere.
‘Some come as a family and some as couples. We have had three marriage proposals, which I have helped to arrange, so that’s fun! We have also had many creatives who want to come and write here and be isolated.’
Nancy, who is originally from the U.S, recommends that guests stay a minimum of three days so they can ‘fully benefit from the isolation’.
She concludes: ‘In terms of when to visit, I particularly love the fall [autumn].
‘The summer is also fantastic though and there are so many incredible hikes you can do. There is a little forest next to the cabin, which is not to be missed. It’s like the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter.’
The hut can accommodate up to 10 people for a minimum of two nights between the months of May and October. Prices start from €1,250 (£1,077) for two nights with the third free or €2,200 (£1,900) for seven nights. Visit www.burondelachambe.com.
Owner Nancy recommends visiting the little forest next to the cabin, which is ‘like the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter’
Describing the type of guests they have welcomed over the past few years, Nancy says: ‘We’ve had all kinds of people from everywhere. Some come as a family and some as couples. We have had three marriage proposals, which I have helped to arrange, so that’s fun! We have also had many creatives who want to come and write here and be isolated’
Nancy, who is originally from the U.S, recommends that guests stay a minimum of three days so they can ‘fully benefit from the isolation’. In the summer, the area is said to be a hiker’s paradise
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