OUR VILLAGE AND PLACES OF INTEREST

With a population of around two hundred if all the outlying farms and habitations are included, the village proper consists of an imposing church with an immaculately kept graveyard around which is clustered a handful of weathered stone cottages.

Sociable rooks sit atop the old church tower, lazily discussing the goings-on below and swapping local gossip. Solid Norman houses with neatly kept gardens and window sills displaying the inevitable pots of red geraniums line the crossroads over which the elevated church has looked for almost a thousand years, and the odd tractor potters by en route to the patchwork of tiny fields quilting the thousands of acres of gently undulating valley land ringing what was once said to be an island village.

For most local people, the focal point at Nehou is the bar and grocery store, run by the indefatigable Madame Ghislaine; With its quiet streets and people who like to live their lives as they and generations before have always lived them, Nehou is like and yet unlike a thousand such rural French communities which have avoided the depredations of time and progress. For us, it is a heavenly place to be at any time of day or year.."

This is how our friend, writer and former Nehou resident George East introduces readers to his favourite village in all France.

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have enjoyed reading about Nehou and the surrounding area in this captivating area of Lower Normandy. George's 'Mill of the Flea' series tell of his and his wife Donella's small (and often bizarre!) adventures as innocents abroad from the time they arrived at La Puce, a derelict water 18th - century water mill near Nehou.

Over the years, George has made a host of local characters, places and occasions familiar to readers everywhere, and visitors can enjoy the local markets and festivals of products of land and sea he writes about. The weekly market at nearby Bricquebec is said to be the largest and most popular in the Cotentin area, and a local saying has it that all roads lead to the town dominated by a magnificent castle where William the Conqueror, Queen Victoria and even Field Marshal Rommel have stayed.

The nearby coast boasts the highest cliffs in Europe with spectacular views across to the Channel Islands, and many cafe bars and restaurants in the picturesque yet working fishing villages offer their harvest straight from the sea and on to a plate! Little more than half an hour northwards from Nehou is the bustling sea port of Cherbourg, and the stunning 18 th- century buildings of the university town of Valognes have earned it the title of the 'Versailles of the North'.

To visit the North Cotentin, says George, is to escape into another world. Whether you wish to explore the countryside or coast, dine on fine foods and wines or a huge plate of mussels in cream with an ice-cold mug of local cider, this very special area of France really does offer the chance to escape the modern world and all its pressures.

Mont Saint Michel
Mont & Bay

Ancient architecture and France's premier tourist attraction. There are many things to see and to do; the main street with its shops, the museums, the walk around the ramparts with views out over the sands of the bay, as well as the spectacle of the sea rushing in to surround the Mont at each low tide

Barneville-Carteret

Seaside resort,
fishing and sailing port.

Two long beaches of fine sand, sheltered by the point, facing the Channel Islands

Regular ferries to Jersey and
Guernsey

Bayeux:
A city proud of its ancient religious heritage and its many old houses and mansions, built between the 15th and 18th centuries

Cathedral of
Notre-Dame;
the famous Bayeux tapestry masterpiece, embroidered by Queen Matilda in the 11th century. Fine Arts museum, Museum of the Battle of Normandy in 1944. Summer music festival. Chateau of Balleroy nearby. Chateau of Vaulaville at Tour-en-Bessin.

Caen : A mere 223 km from Paris, and only 14 km from the sea, this city of 200 000 is located between two rivers, the Orne and the Odon. Already an important place in the Middle Ages, it was seized by William the Conqueror during the XIth century, In spite of severe destruction during WWII bombings, a number of ancient houses and buildings have remained, some of them going back to th XIth century. Caen is also famous for its Museum for Peace, built in 1988, as well for the museum of Normandy and the one on Fine Arts.

Granville : Sailing and fishing harbour. Seaside health resort. Strongest tides in Europe. The "Haute Ville" is a picturesque fortified old town with its church of Notre-Dame and 15-18th century houses. Museum of Granville's history, Richard Anacreon museum of modern art, Roc aquarium. Granville wax museum. Regional water sports centre. Golf, Regular ferry services to Jersey and Chausey. Winter carnival. Grand Pardon religious festival in summer

Sainte-Mere-Eglise:

First French town to be liberated by the American troops parachuted into the area on 5 June 1944.
Museum of the army airlift, Cotentin farming museum

Superb facilities on site including:

• Heated Swimming Pool
• Archery
• Table tennis
• Basketball
• Indoor Activity Area
• Courtyard Bistro
• Regular Barbeques
• Luxury Spa
• Internet Access

QUICK CONTACT FORM

Complete the enquiry form or call us on 00 33 233 412 976

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CONTACT DETAILS

La Mare Chappey
Nehou
Manche
Normandy
50390 FR

T: 00 33 233 412 976
E: lamarechappey@wanadoo.fr

FAMILY DAYS OUT

Festiland

Parc Festyland
Fun park for kids. Viking ship roller coasters, aqua park, jousting and much more. Ragnarok, a Viking battle, is held every day in July and August. In Bretteville sur Odon (14). aprrox lhr away
Tel: 02 31 75 04 04
Fax: 02 31 26 27 97

La Cite de la Mer
opened its doors in April 2002, in the old Transatlantic Terminal of Cherbourg, at the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula. It is the ideal place to discover the adventures of man in the deep seas.The submarine pole Le redoutable, the largest submarine open to the public worth visiting in the world.
The new touch pool.
Thanks to the underwater capsule installed in the tank, children can get close up to the rays and other fish.
Cite de la Mer The top WIFI tourist spot in Lower Normandy

Parc zoologique de Champrepus Animal park with various attractions for children situated between Villedieu-les-Poeles (8 Km) and Granville (20 Km) on the D924 (50).
Tel: 02 33 61 30 74
Fax: 02 33 61 71 43

Reptilarium
Live crocodiles, lizards and snakes; 300 different species of tortoises, at rte de Pontorson, Mont St-Michel (50).
Website www.le-reptilarium.com Tel: 02 33 68 11 18
Fax: 02 33 58 07 93