Foreigners may grumble about French bureaucracy, but I can’t imagine many English town councillors solving land disputes in such a relaxed manner. The other drawbacks — five bees’ nests, honey dripping through the ceiling and the odd snake or two blocking the pipes — seemed trifling in comparison.

Indeed, any such hurdles were more than compensated for by the discovery that our house had a literary past: it was once owned by Maurice Maréchal, founder of Le Canard Enchaîné, France’s equivalent of Private Eye. “Un bon vivant,” an elderly neighbour remarked of Maréchal. “He would invite all his writer friends around for lavish dinner parties.” Judging by the thousands of empty wine bottles in the cellar, he and his friends knew how to have a good time Work on the house and novel went hand-in-hand. Costs spiralled as we summoned plumbers and electricians. Our £75,000 bargain had soon cost £25,000 extra in renovation costs; a new septic tank added another £5,000 to the bill; a leaking roof a further £2,000.

Finding workmen proved to be a constant problem — all the good ones were booked months in advance, and it was a long and worrying wait before the house was rewired. But it has been worth it: the estate agent said recently that the house has tripled in value.

Burgundy is a place where writing comes easily. Among our close friends are the award-winning translators, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Their English version of Anna Karenina was recently selected by Oprah Winfrey as her “best read” for her American book programme. They remained unfazed. “Who,” they asked, “is Oprah Winfrey?” A million or so copies later, they know the answer.

My story spiralled into a Byzantine riddle: my hero discovers that 10 generations of his family had been murdered because of their noses — and realises that cheese, and cheese alone, can save his life.

For my part, I soon found that Burgundians are blessed with a savoir-vivre that knows no social boundaries. When we have drinks with local farmers, we are always offered champagne. Even the poorest farmers drink superb Côte de Nuits. I often wondered how they could afford it until I realised that money rarely changes hands: everything is done by barter. Take a cow or two to Nuits-St-Georges, and you will return with 300 bottles of wine.

After two years of hard work — punctuated by the occasional feast — the house and the novel were finally finished. To celebrate, we tucked into an époisses so ripe it had to be eaten with a spoon.

On the market

With about an acre of garden, large courtyard, terrace, cellars and a well, this five-bedroom, three-bathroom fully renovated farmhouse in the Côte d’Or is a five-minute drive from Semur en Auxois and five minutes from the autoroute exit. It is for sale for £323,000 with Coast & Country, 00 33 380 330 925, www.coast-country.com

Eight miles from Epoisses, this five-bedroom farmhouse near Saulieu in the Morvan regional park has a large wine cellar for the local vino. The property comes with a one-bedroom cottage, a large barn, parking for six to eight cars and 11.8 acres. It is for sale for £304,000 with VEF, 020 7515 8660, www.vefuk.com

In need of renovation, this two-bedroom cottage near Epoisses has a large reception room with wooden beams and an open fireplace. Outside is a small garden and a barn, which also requires redevelopment. It is for sale for £71,000 with Lorraine Campbell, 020 7978 5505, www.lorrainecampbell.com

A 10-minute drive from Pouilly en Auxois, 30 miles from Epoisses, two buildings are for sale. One is habitable, with a bedroom and basic kitchen; the other, an old stable, could be converted into a three-bed house. Together, they cost £44,000 with Burgundy4U, 00 33 385 989 624, www.burgundy4u.com

Giles Milton's first novel, Edward Trencom's Nose, is published by Macmillan. It is available at the special reader discount of £7.59 with free delivery, through Sunday Times Books First, tel: 0870 165 8585

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