Gouville: Château de Chambray and the Iton

Gouville can be explored through several themes: the Château de Chambray and its architectural history, the landscape along the Iton, and activities related to agriculture and the environment. If you are looking for a hotel in Gouville, this selection provides a factual basis for planning your trip. You can focus on preserved buildings, a riverside walking area, or a themed trail about nature and agriculture.

Château de Chambray and the history of the estate

The Château de Chambray in Gouville preserves a gatehouse and a chapel dating from the 15th century. These two types of building point to different functions of a historic estate: a gatehouse served as an entrance, while a chapel was used for religious purposes. Together, they represent different aspects of the château’s architectural history.

The activities to discover the Domaine de Chambray include a permanent exhibition on the history of the estate and the de Chambray family. It complements the view of the buildings with the history of the estate and its family. This brings together two ways of exploring the heritage: the preserved buildings and the permanent exhibition on the estate’s history and family.

Walking area and nature along the Iton

The Domaine de Chambray offers an extensive walking area along the Iton River. The estate’s riverbanks have been designated an Espace Naturel Sensible (Sensitive Natural Area) by the Eure Department. Here, a specific place for walks and the protected status of the riverside landscape come together. While the château focuses on architectural history, the Domaine also explores the river environment and its natural features.

CRÉE’s activities at the Domaine include environmental education and food, the exploration and conservation of wetlands and forest areas, and water protection. The estate’s history and heritage are also covered. The program thus combines nature and environmental topics with the cultural aspects of the Domaine. For planning your trip, these topics offer different points of reference, depending on whether you are more interested in environmental education or the history of the estate.

Agriculture and landscape along the trail

The Parcours agriculture durable in Chambray is open to everyone and explains its themes using information panels. These include sustainable agriculture, extensive suckler cow farming, the wet meadows of the Iton Valley, arable farming, forests, and hedgerows. The panels cover both agricultural land use and different landscape features. The trail offers its own way to explore these topics: agriculture and landscape are explained together along the circular route.

Two circular routes with different points of interest

The La Gaudrée circular route crosses the plains northeast of Gouville to the hamlet of La Gaudrée. It then follows the GR de Pays and the Iton, near the Château de Chambray. The Les bords de l’Iton circular route starts at the church in Gouville, follows the river, and explores the lands of the Domaine de Chambray, which are home to protected biodiversity.

When comparing the routes, their described points of interest are particularly useful: La Gaudrée leads from the plains to the hamlet, while Les bords de l’Iton starts at the church and focuses on the river and the protected lands of the Domaine. You can choose a route based on the landscape that interests you most.

Discover more destinations: Le Fidelaire, Connelles, Saussay-La-Campagne, Villettes, Bourgtheroulde-Infreville, Bosnormand, Manneville-La-Raoult, Val De Reuil

For the regional travel overview: Eure.