Who are we?
Welcome
We are Foulques and Héloïse.
Héloïse grew up in the neighbourhood, loves to welcome her visitors and will do everything she can to make your visit a success, beyond your dreams.
Foulques grew up in Brussels and is a film maker, with tons of imagination and who enjoys telling tales.
But first and last, we are the proud parents of 3 marvellous children.
2018: direction Nature!
After living for many years in Brussels, and wishing to welcome visitors, and also with the idea to relax and live at natures rhythm, we decided in 2018 to move to Ciney and in particular to the Moulin de Biron ( the Mill of Biron).
The time to restore
Once we had moved in, we quickly felt that the building needed to find its soul again. We therefor started to restore the wheel. Two years later, this old lady rediscovered her youth. With the sole force of the stream’s water, these 4.5 tons of steel started to turn, and to provide us with electricity. What a sight!
The arrival of the Nests
In 2019, we begin the first stage of our beautiful project. We install our first nest. It is gradually joined by 4 other cozy nests.
Since then we are extremely lucky to be able to greet you here. This little paradise, as many of our visitors regularly describe it, is characterised by its biological aspects. Surrounded by the reeds, the marsh is inhabited by large numbers of birds, batrachians (i.e. frogs.), bats, fish, but also foxes, deer, and many other animals.
Next stage: we are already dreaming of this and we are impatient to inform you of it. However, what always remains upmost in our minds relates to: a unique experience, authenticity, change of scenery, nature, cocoon.
We are looking forward to meeting you.
Our Project
At the start of the summer 2018, we moved into the Mill, with the sensation that we had lots of things to share and to create. The Nests are part of a larger project.
Happy encounters, sustainable agriculture, the tales of ancient stones are values we cherish, and which inspire our life’s aims.
HAPPY ENCOUNTERS
We want to preserve this beautiful place and to share it with others. One does not exclude the other. This desire inspired us to create these unusual lodgings.
We are animated by a passion for observation of life and the power of nature which surrounds us. Understanding it and living in harmony with it, is our leitmotiv!
Solicitated from all sides, we do not take the time to stop, listen and simply understand what it tells us.
The Marsh Nests offer you the possibility to take time for yourselves. Let the serenity of this unique place overcome you. Take the time to celebrate. Take the time to talk. Take the time to observe. Just simply, take the time !
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Since a few years now, we have pursued permaculture methods and agriculture in general. This implies meeting an enormous amount of people, farmers and artists, all impassioned by life and the living.
We were lucky to be able to follow classes at the Linciaux Farm ((at Ciney, some 2 kms from the March Nests), and at the Bec Hellouin Farm ( in Normandy, France) and at the “Petit Monde de Desnié ( in Belgium).
We have studied and observed the various methods of agricultural exploitations, like agroforestry, biological agriculture, agro-ecology etc…This enables us to apply the best methods to the land, which surrounds us.
STONES HAVE A TALE TO TELL
Every mill has its history. We want to pay tribute to the millers, farmers and other artisans who were part of the history of the Mill of Biron.
What we have already done is to rejuvenate the mill’s wheel. Rebuilt the same as before, the wheel now turns happily, thereby supplying electricity to our everyday needs and to our unusual lodgings.
Our research work continues. Meetings with a local historian, searches in the local Ciney archives, every day we learn more.
We dream of an activity which embodies these three values. And why not bake good bread in the old-fashioned mill way ?
The Marsh Nests offer you the possibility to take time for yourselves. Let the serenity of this unique place overcome you. Take the time to celebrate. Take the time to talk. Take the time to observe. Just simply, take the time.