La bottinière

Bray Country __: This is where our holiday rental is located, in a haven of peace. From here, you are on the doorstep of the Agapanthes gardens in Grigneuseville and the hellebores gardens in Beaumont-le-Hareng. _ In the heart of the Pays de Bray, rolling green countryside alternates between pastures and fields, where Normandy cows graze peacefully, producing milk for Neufchâtel cheese. Many cider farms offer tastings of cider and Calvados. Neufchâtel-en-Bray with its Notre-Dame church, the Mathon-Durand museum, the nearby Mesnières en Bray castle and the "Avenue Verte" for peaceful walks and cycling. Forges-les-Eaux__, with its flower-filled town centre, casino, springs and museums, welcomes you. From Forges, explore small villages such as Sigy-en-Bray (and its collegiate church), Argueil, Beauvoir-en-Lyons__...__Promance yourself in the sculpture garden at Château de Bois-Guilbert, where artist Jean-Marc De Pas has some of his work on display. Don't miss the Buchy market on Monday mornings. And don't miss the charming little town of St Saëns with its golf course. For children, the Clères park and its animals and the Bocasse park are great fun, or further north, at Muchedent, discover the bison. For those with a passion for the history of the Second World War, head to Ardouval, to the Val Ygot site, where the V1s were launched. Further south, stop off at Esteville to visit the Emmaüs centre, where Abbé Pierre spent his final years. _ Around Gournay -en-Bray, discover the small village of Cuy St Fiacre and the war memorial sculpted by François Pompon. Further south, in the department of l__'__Eure, stroll through the charming village of Lyons-le-Forêt, visit the château of Vascoeuil, the château of Martainville and return via the Crevon valley with the château of Blainville and the__'__adorable village of Ry which inspired Flaubert in Madame Bovary. Rouen __: Our holiday rental is just 35 minutes from Rouen, the capital of Normandy and nicknamed the "city of a hundred steeples". Start by looking at the façade of Notre-Dame Cathedral (12th-16th centuries), painted by Claude Monet. Enter and discover the superb stained glass windows from the Middle Ages, and the tombs of the Dukes of Normandy Rollon and Richard the Lionheart. The cathedral is topped by the highest spire in France (151 m). Right next to the cathedral, in the archbishop's palace on rue St Romain, is the Jeanne d'Arc Memorial, where you can learn more about her life through 3-D films. Stroll along the narrow streets, lined with timber-framed houses with colourful facades (more than 2,000), the St Maclou church...__ If you like unusual places, go as far as the St Maclou churchyard, a former cemetery and ossuary for the plague victims. Continue along rue Damiette and its antique shops to reach the superb abbey church of St Ouen and its superb stained-glass windows. Then return to the cathedral square and continue along rue du Gros Horloge. This clock dates from the 16th century and has only one hand. It's also a very busy shopping street. You will then come to the Place du Vieux Marché, where Jeanne d___Arc was burnt alive in 1431. Close to the stake stands the 1979 church of Ste Jeanne d__'__Arc, modern in architecture but with 16th-century stained glass windows from the church of St Vincent, destroyed during the war. Dieppe: 50 minutes from our gîte La Bottinière. Take a trip out to sea to discover Dieppe and the Côte d'Albâtre from the sea. A fishing port, in autumn and winter you can sample the scallops. Stroll along the Grande Rue with its shops and visit the Church of St Jacques. Climb up to the castle-museum, which overlooks the town and offers a magnificent panoramic view. Inside you'll be immersed in Dieppe's maritime and seaside past, and especially the magnificent collection of carved ivories, a speciality of Dieppe. _

Located in the heart of the village