Just 8 km south of Barenton which we have written about here, you will find another little gem of a town in the Manche department, called Le Teilleul.
First of all, you cannot miss the impressive, beautiful and imposing church which dominates this town – L’église Saint-Patrice. A local fund raising page to restore the church’s historic features, in particular, the bell tower beams and masonry says this;
“The church of Saint Patrice in the commune of Le Teilleul is a beautiful and unusual church built between 1851 and 1854. It is distinguished by its neo-Romanesque style, although there are some distinctive features, particularly on the western facade with its central bell tower and side belfries. It also has an unusual north-south orientation. As a result of these distinctive features, the church was listed as a Historic Monument in 2006.”
In any event, like so many monuments and churches in towns and villages across Normandy and indeed France, it is well worth a visit inside.
Like Sourdeval and other villages/towns in Normandy, there is a designated area for camping cars – perfect for tourists and visitors alike. The town is well equipped to welcome visitors with all the amenities it has to offer. This town continues to grow and grow and has easy access to other towns such as Domfront which we have written about here, Mortain which with have written about here and Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët written about here.
Fosse Arthour
This town has a nice community feel to it, as you can see in the Facebook link below, which shares all the local activities. We believe that it is an ideal town to set up your own business and be in amongst the local community. This may be of interest to those of you who may require a business plan for their visa. It is forward thinking and already has new start up businesses, that are successfully running alongside the more established ones.
There is a unique Alice and Wonderland inspired tea room, florist, treasure trove of French brocante items, veterinary practice, Bank, Post Office, Market, Restaurant, a computer repair expert called Magic Geek and lots more besides.
Le Teilleul has a very popular cycling club which welcomes new riders, be they local or a new resident – French speaking or non-speaking. In any event, this will invariably improve your level of French and you will be partaking in something you enjoy.
Cycling throughout France and here in Normandy is an absolute pleasure. The roads are very well maintained, hardly any traffic and you will be given lots of respect and width when a driver passes you by. You will often see groups of cyclists out on a Sunday, or teams out training with a support car behind them. This should come as no surprise given that France hosts one of the world’s top sporting events – Le Tour De France.
So do not hesitate to join or partake in training rides, irrespective of whether or not this is a holiday home or permanent residence. The contact details for the club is listed below.
Other things to do and see in the area is the nearby village and surrounding villages and aptly named, Passais Villages. It has a charming chapelle called Notre-Dame de L’oratoire which, again, is well worth a visit and there is a lovely small lake to walk around.
A little further out of town and only less than 10 minutes away, is the Jewell in the gem of the crown of Le Teilleul that is Fosse Arthour.
It is a place of outstanding natural beauty and perfect for hikes, gentle walks, rock climbing or simply sit back and take in the stunning scenery. We have included a video in the links below as well as a link to the tourism website.
We hope you liked this little insight into the town of Le Teilleul
Restoration of Saint Patrice Church
