Bazenville: Architectural History, Memorial Sites and Brewing Culture

Bazenville brings together architectural and local history, memorial sites from the Second World War, and the Brasserie Ferme de la Pommeraye. If you are considering a hotel stay in the area, these diverse themes can shape your trip: religious architecture, historic estates, memorial history, or a tour and tasting at the brasserie.

Église Saint-Martin: Architecture and Heritage Protection

The Église Saint-Martin is a 13th-century religious building and a representative example of Bessin architecture of that period. Its layout consists of a single-nave body, a western bell tower with a porch, and a choir at the eastern end. The choir has a ribbed vault and a flat-ended apse. This makes it possible to distinguish the parts of the building without specialist terminology: the nave forms the main longitudinal section, while the choir marks the eastern end. The tower and porch are at the western end.

The building’s legal heritage status is also divided: the church is partly classified as a historic monument and partly listed as a historic monument. Its architecture and protection status are therefore two distinct aspects of the same building. For anyone interested in church architecture, both its regional affiliation with Bessin architecture and the specific layout of the building offer useful points of reference.

Château and Manoir: Different Architectural Histories

The Château de la Croix was built around 1727 for Jean-Baptiste Ouzouf de Beaumont. Bombing in 1944 destroyed its east wing. The estate thus brings together two distinct moments in its architectural history: its construction in the 18th century and the loss of part of the building during the Second World War.

The older history of the Manoir dit Ferme de Bazenville ou de l'Eglise comes with an important qualification: the manor is probably located on the site of the fortified castle mentioned in 1371. The residence and east wing were built in the 17th century. There is also a portal made of dressed natural stone. The presumed castle site, the later building sections and the portal offer different historical and architectural points of reference, without treating the uncertain identification of the earlier structure as a certainty.

Memorial Sites and Airfield History

The Cimetière Militaire Britannique de Bazenville contains 979 graves and was opened two days after the Allied landings in Normandy. The number of graves and the precise timing in relation to the landings convey two distinct aspects of the cemetery: its size and its immediate connection to the history of the Second World War.

Another chapter of history is commemorated at the Advanced Landing Ground B-2 in Bazenville. The monument commemorates the establishment of the forward airfield; construction began on June 7, 1944. The airfield was laid out in the triangle between Bazenville, Crépon and Villiers-le-Sec. By contrast, the cemetery’s significance lies in its opening shortly after the landings, while the B-2 monument focuses on the creation of the airfield. Both topics offer distinct temporal and geographical points of reference for the history of the area.

Brasserie Ferme de la Pommeraye

Visitors to the Brasserie Ferme de la Pommeraye can tour the brasserie, taste its products and take home products from the Normandy region. These include farmhouse beer, cider and apple juice. Everything on the farm—from sowing the barley to harvesting it and brewing the beer—takes place on site. A visit therefore focuses both on the products and on the individual stages of beer production.

Tours are available by reservation; the shop is open on request. As participation requirements may change, check reservation arrangements and shop availability in advance if you plan to make use of these offerings.

Les balcons de la Seulles Walking Trail

The circular “Les balcons de la Seulles” walking trail runs past the Ryes-Bazenville military cemetery and on to Bazenville. If you plan to include the trail in your itinerary, check the current route before setting out: route details may change. No stated distance, duration or difficulty is included in the information provided here for this trail.

Discover more destinations: Cairon, Vignats, Foulognes, Ifs, Saint-Pierre-Azif, Falaise, Fresné-La-Mère, Les Autels-Saint-Bazile.

For the broader travel overview: Calvados.