Peter and Sarah Wilson took over Forest View in October 2012, transforming the wilderness they found into a comfortable, easy- going site that lies by a quiet crossroads between the edge of the Forêt de Saussay and a landscape of gently rolling farmland. While the forest is huge and forms a significant part of the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche, the site itself could easily be called Lake View because it’s the reflections in the fishing lake that most people love to gaze at.
The lake is stocked with rudd, roach, pike, and tench, but there’s a firm no-killing policy, so even if you land a giant carp it must go back in the water. Most people come here to ride horses or bikes, to paint, watch birds, or walk in the woods of tamarisk and hawthorn. You can easily arrive and leave the car onsite all day; taking off on foot to explore everything that's on offer.
The irony is, that for all its beauty, this region is often bypassed in the rush to get south to the Loire and the Dordogne. It’s a land of forests, ancient abbeys, and fortified manors with massive circular towers and beautiful gardens. The longer you stay the less you'll want to leave. The area is famous for its lace, its powerful Percheron horses, and for unspoilt thousand-year-old villages such as Chapelle-Montligeon, where an early-20th-century, gothic revival cathedral, Notre-Dame de Montligeon, rises somewhat bizarrely above the fields. And it’s also known for its wonderful cider and hospitality, both of which can be sampled back at camp during one of Forest View's unique Plat du Jour evenings. Within the site's traditional farm house restaurant, campers can relax around long tables, sharing tales of the day's adventures and enjoying delicious home-cooked food.
Hosted by Peter W.
Joined in September 2013Forest View sits at the heart of the Perche and Huisne Valley dotted with small towns and villages amongst the hills, forests and rivers. It is ideal for ramblers, walkers, cyclists, fishermen and those wanting to explore the countryside and discover the array of churches, manor houses, parks and gardens of the Orne. Every week there are local markets, where you can experience the delightful local produce and on Sundays there are Vide Greniers where you can wander through stalls of French brocante and bric-a-brac. From the campsite, campers have direct access into the Forest du Saussay, with miles of pathways to explore and witness the wonderful wildlife including wild boar, deer, birds, plants and trees. Without doubt one of the finest ways to explore is by bicycle – whilst the Perche Region does have its hills and valleys, it is also blessed with miles and miles of gentle rolling B roads, plus paths and tracks that are easily navigable by bike and, perhaps the jewel in the local crown, the Voie Verte. The Voie Verte is an amazing network of level, well prepared cycle and walking tracks – no cars allowed – and is just 10 minutes cycle from the campsite. Once on it, you can meander for 26km to Mortagne au Perche in one direction or 6km to Conde sur Huisne in the other.