La Janais - Welcome!

Select language /
Choisissez le langage

La Janais & Us

What does La Janais mean?

Lots of guest ask us ‘What does La Janais mean?’. It actually doesn’t mean anything, it is just a name. However only very recently a local French historian, a guy called Rene Boiteau, has given us information that explains how the name originated.

In his genealogy research for this area he found a document from 1567 that detailed that the family name of the people who lived in the farm then was Jehanneau. He then found in subsequent documentation that this family name was not only adopted to be the name of this area but slowly became ‘bastardisd, firstly it changed to La Jehannays and then latterly into La Janais.

Rene Boiteau was born in Le Pin and his father was the local wheelwright, in fact the two old cart wheel hubs at the front of this place are just two of hundreds that his father made during his lifetime for the local farmers of the area.

Rene told us how as a small boy his mother would send him out to La Janais to buy milk, eggs and cheese from the then occupants, the Hubert family. He would walk out to the farm from the village across the fields since the lane, then just a dirt track was often too deep in mud to safely walk along. He told us that the Huberts were a very poor family since they only owned one horse!

So what is the history of La Janais?

Well, 1567 is the first written record of the farm but it can be safely assumed that the farm existed prior to this date so an estimate of at least the very early 1500’s or late 1400’s would be a good guess of its first existence.

For the next couple of hundred years it passed to and from local families as they interwed.

In 1794 it is recorded that the then owner, Joseph Bazil, had to go cap in hand to the local council and ask for financial help, why was this? Well in that year the revolutionary army swarmed through this region and they looted and pillaged the whole region so it was not just poor old Joseph who found things hard that year!

As you will discover when you visit La Janais, the farm house is set in peaceful and tranquil countryside. However it was not always so peaceful! In 1803 Louis Persault who was the then owner fell out with a neighbour, Louise Bazil by cutting down and burning a hedge between their lands without permission...(an early case of a leylandi dispute obviously!)...However, the case went to court and the local judge found against Louise Persault and he had to pay damages and replant his neighbours hedge!.....but it’s OK, we get on great with our neighbours now!

During the German occupation of France during the second world war lot’s of French men were deported to Germany to work as forced labour in their factories and on their farms. The owner of La Janais in 1940 was Monsieur Hubert and he was taken by the Germans that year, luckily he survived his ordeal in Germany but it was not until late 1945 that he managed to get back home to La Janais...during his absence it was down to his wife and children to keep the place going...hard times indeed.

It was during the 1970’s that the farm ceased to be a working farm, indeed the last French owner, old Madam Hubert, dropped down dead with a heart attack in the field behind the house. For the next 25 years the place was left to go derelict and various parcels of land was sold off to other local farmers on the relatives behalf (and profit!). Then in the mid 1990’s La Janais was bought by an English couple and it’s new life as a holiday destination commenced! The old cowshed is now the lounge and bar, the dining room is the old stable and the upstairs have become the B & B rooms while the old original farmhouse has become the self catering facilities.

So, we are nearly up to date now. It was in October 2001 that Pat and I bought the place and moved in, it was looking tired and worn out but after 3 years of continuous work, improvement and far too much money we have made the place what you see it as today. Although a lot of the land had been sold off before we arrived we still have eight and a half acres of land...and that’s plenty enough to look after I can assure you! And since we have dug out and renovated the old pond the place has regained that old country farm charm...the pond had, for many years previouly been used as a tip, now it is a sanctuary for frogs, fish, insects, birds and it’s lovely to just sit by it and watch the world go by...with a glass of local wine in your hand of course!

A bit about Us

Back in the eighties we were both made redundant from the same company after both being there for 15 years but fortunately we both found jobs again very quickly...which meant we had our redundancy monies to spend!...so we used it all...(plus a loan!) to buy an American camper van. For the next 11 years we toured Europe at every opportunity on our family holidays with our son Adam who was then 8 years old. While we were in Portugal one Christmas in the van we met other people of our own age who were not rich or drop outs, just ordinary people who had chosen to live a different alternative life to the normal ‘9 to 5’ It was this event that triggered in us both the shared desire to change our lives...but since Adam was so young it was not to be possible to realize this dream for another 10 years.

So 10 years ‘dragged’ by...Adam did well at school and got himself a place at university to study Biomedical Science and we got more and more depressed with our lifestyle in the UK so when the day came that Adam left home to go to university Pat and I made the bold (crazy more like!) decision to sell up everything and head for France...we had been holidaying here for more than 20 years so we knew enough about this region, the culture and the language to be confident that we would be happy living here. I am very pleased to say that since starting to write this overview about La Janais and our family Adam has now achieved his Degree and has taken up the offer to work at Bath University on a Phd course for the next 3 years...anything to avoid real work I tell him!.......of course we are very proud of him...(and even better he is being sponsored by a big medical concern to continue studying and not by me and Pat this time!!!)

The rest as they say is history...we found this place by accident, bought it and have not stopped working (or spending!) on it for the last 3 years...we are skint, have a lovely home, have never worked so hard for as many hours a day but we are happy...hopefully you will come and share La Janais with us for a while, either as a stop over to or from places farther afield or as a base to go and explore this lovely unspoilt region of France. It is not just our business, it is our home and we live here all year round so we are always on hand to ensure your comfort and satisfaction and that everything remains working and in tip top shape throughout your stay with us. All we ask is that you treat the old place with respect and help us to keep it in the best condition possible so many other guests can also enjoy it’s beauty, charm and tranquility for many years to come...plus we’ll still have somewhere nice to live!

...we hope you’ll come and share and enjoy some time with us soon here at La Janais.

Please E-Mail the webmaster@la-janais.com
with comments, suggestions or questions regarding this web site.

La Janais