Pays de Caux and pigeon-houses, Normandy

Caux Maritime is an agricultural region bordered by tall white cliffs over the Channel with ports and seaside resorts at the outlet of coastal rivers. Rich green valleys (rivers Durdent, Veules - the smallest river of France - Dun, Saane, Scie and others on which worked numerous water-mills : flax industry, oil, flour, ink...) and picturesque plateaux make it a highly appreciated country. Thatched cottages as well as numerous manors hide among the orchards. As for gastronomy, hot cream with fowl or seafood, fresh cream and apple-pie should delight you along with pommeau, cider, calvados...

Along the Route des colombiers cauchois, clos or cour-masure (sandstone, silex, chalk, brick and half timbering), traditional farms with century-old mounds planted with beeches are typical of the hinterland. The pigeon house stands in the center of the clos. This choice place is due to late seigneurial rights in the Middle-Ages. Commoners where prohibited from ownership. Pigeon houses were a symbol of noble authority and property. Only one pigeon house could be built on a property ; the landlord raised domesticated couples for food, hunting and droppings (fertilizers). This pigeon right has been abolished during the French revolution, on August 4, 1789. Built around a pole allowing to reach the pigeonholes (boulins), dovecotes usually have an upper level housing pigeons and a lower level used as shelter. Both are separated by a "larmier", a device preventing rodents from climbing up to the upper level.

Fauville, Bennetot (Manoir de Vertot - pigeon house in bricks in the middle of the cour-masure [2] [1]), Benarville (ancient fortress of Bois-Roze), Angerville, Bailleul (Renaissance chateau buit in 1543, park, chapel and pigeon house), Valmont dominated by the feudal chateau of Estouville [3], Therouldeville (Hameau de la Hetree - beech land) [4] [5] with its clos and dovecote with varnished tiles on its sides. Going through Cany-Barville, visit the chateau surrounded by the Durdent waters. Oherville : the Manoir d'Auffay [6] and its pigeon house (1 470 "boulins"), renovated in 1992 are a masterpiece of highly coloured silex, brick and stone mosaic. The Manoir shelters a museum of Caux pigeon houses. At Grainville La Teinturiere [7], the pigeon house was raised on a feudal motte. At Petit Veauville [9] [8] [10], (Hericourt en Caux), the pigeon house is a very rare dodecagonal building with round thatched roof renovated in 1986. Another rare example in Pays de Bray : the pigeon house of Bois-Guilbert [11], not far from La Ferte Saint-Samson [12] [13].

Leaving the bocage, here is Veullettes sur Mer at the outlet of the Durdent river with the longest seafront of the Albatre Coast, the Petites Dalles with Belle Epoque villas and the Grandes Dalles [14] [15] [16].

More information :

» Useful websites

» » Search also Francerama directory