Bombed in 1917, the Domaine de Vadancourt was rebuilt in 1927 with an eye for the original archi-tecture and now serves as an elegant B&B in a setting that couldn’t be more peaceful – though the breakfast table, last relic from that time, still bears messages carved by prisoners of war who were housed in its ruins. Surrounded by lovely parkland with a lake crossed by an 18th-century bridge, this is a place to be treated to home-cooked French cuisine, a dose of art de vivre and a good night’s sleep in one of five rooms decorated with antiques and family heirlooms. Some have hydrotherapy baths and balconies from which to watch the horse, donkey and wild rabbits at play. At the same time, you’re only a few minutes’ drive from the city of Saint-Quentin with its own compelling wartime history and outstanding examples of Art Deco architecture, and less than two hours from the Channel ferry ports.
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