This chocolate-box Normandy water mill in Rethoville dates from the 18th century. It’s in the north east of La Manche region of Normandy between Cherbourg and Barfleur. Originally called la Coudrarie water mill it’s now known as the Marie Ravenel water mill. This is in homage to the miller’s daughter and celebrated poet who lived…
The Vauban Tower on Tatihou island was built in 1694 and has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2008. Originally a tower dating from the 16th century had been built to defend the island from English troops. In 1662 the King decided that it should be destroyed and it was therefore demolished in 1666….
La Pointe du Hoc is a headland in Saint-Pierre-du-Mont in the Calvados region of Normandy. It’s set between Omaha and Utah beaches and was a German fortified stronghold protecting 6 artillery guns (155mm) during WW2. Men from the United States 2nd Ranger Battalion were tasked with scaling the 100ft cliffs, disarming the guns and advancing…
Lace making and metalwork are just two of the crafts that were once practised in Villedieu-les-Poêles in Normandy. The town is most famous for copper and a number of shops today sell a wide range of copper items. Brass and pewter were also worked here. Pot makers, tanners, coppersmiths, salt merchants, lace makers, spinners, embroiders…
Coutances’ Dahlia Festival takes place in September and is usually on for the whole month. It’s an annual event and has been celebrated over 25 times. It takes place in the agricultural college (the lycée agricole) where students wanting an agricultural or horticultural profession study. Throughout the year the college also runs a garden centre with…
This is a holiday owners dream – a fantastic review full of ideas of what to do in La Manche region of Normandy. This family spent two weeks exploring the area every day both nearby and further afield. Visits to Cité de la Mer in Cherbourg, Bayeux, Omaha Beach and Mont Saint Michel were some…
Across the square in Coutances from the cathedral are the fabulous Coutances gardens. They are known as Le Jardin des Plantes and are open all year round albeit with shorter hours in the winter. They’re one of Normandy’s oldest public gardens and have a mix of English and French styles. Every year a theme is…
If you’re looking for some family fun, then the Coutances maze is open every day during the summer holidays. You can find it between Coutances and Gratot on the D57 and it is well signposted as ’Labyrinthe de Coutances’. It is close to the déchetterie (recycling centre) for Gratot which is also signposted. The maze…
Although Saint-Malo is in Brittany, it’s very accessible from the southern Manche in Normandy. I have guests who go for a day trip as it’s less than 90 minutes drive. Highlights include the Solidor Tower in Saint-Servan – a 14th-century building that houses a collection tracing the history of voyages around Cape Horn, the Great…
There are three Gavray boulangeries all serving amazing breakfast pastries, bread and cakes. They’re all within a hundred metres of each other but are all equally as busy. I refer to them by the colours of the shop front so we have a red one, purple one and a yellow one. They each have a…
La Manche region of Normandy’s characterised by its extensive coastline which surrounds a terrain of hedgerows, woodland and pastures. The pastures are known as bocage. The video below highlights some of the key sights to see. Seaside Towns and Villages The miles and miles of coast are also home to pretty seaside villages and towns….
The Andouillerie de la Baleine is a delicatessen in Gavray making a local speciality of andouille. It’s a sausage made of diced stomach and intestines seasoned in pepper and salt for a week. Perhaps not for the faint-hearted! The savoury mixture is then placed in individual intestines, smoked over beech wood and cooked for 6…
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