Discover Normanville

Normanville brings together a walking trail through the village and its hamlets, a garden, a distinctive relationship with water, and historical traces from several eras. If you are looking for a hotel in Normanville, these local features can help you narrow down your choice of destination: they show whether you would like to focus your stay on a walk, a garden, or cultural heritage.

Walking trail, garden and water

The Circuit N°28 – Le Beau Chêne is a 6.6-kilometre circular trail that starts at the church in Normanville. It passes through the village and its hamlets, along quiet lanes and past typical houses. 0.5 kilometres are on paths. The 6.6 kilometres refer to the full circuit, while the smaller figure is the specifically stated distance on paths. You can therefore treat the total distance and the distance on paths as two different points of reference for the walk.

The Jardin d’Art et d’Essais offers a different focus from the route. It covers 2.5 hectares in a former 17th-century priory that was transformed into a garden for the senses. The grounds include an arboretum with 150 selected trees. You can visit the garden freely at any time; guided tours are available on request. While the walking trail is defined by its length, starting point and route, the garden is distinguished by its size, arboretum and ways to visit.

Water is also part of the grounds: a karst swallow hole collects rainwater and feeds the coastal River Valmont through the underground karst network. The garden therefore combines sensory design and a collection of trees with a hydrological connection that extends as far as the Valmont.

Chapels, a château and earlier history

Before the French Revolution, Normanville had three chapels. Saint-Eloi, also known as Saint-Gilles, served a former hospital that was already mentioned at the end of the 15th century. Saint-Nicolas and Sainte-Marguerite first appeared in the 17th century. Later, the chapel dedications were transferred to the château chapel, built in 1741. This sequence runs from the early mention of the hospital, through the chapels that appeared in the 17th century, to the château chapel built later.

The château’s construction also followed a clear chronology: the Pestel family sold the estate to Jean Fiquet in 1735, and he built the château in 1737. Two years elapsed between the sale and construction. Normanville also preserves a feudal motte near a former Gallo-Roman road—another historical connection alongside the château’s history.

According to local tradition, a destroyed Gallo-Roman town lay in fields in Normanville where bricks, pottery and Roman coins can be found. This tradition offers a different historical perspective from the dated accounts of the chapels and château: it concerns the Gallo-Roman past, while the château’s construction dates to the 18th century.

Discover more destinations: Franqueville-Saint-Pierre, Derchigny, Maucomble, La Bouille, Aubermesnil-Aux-Érables, Yainville, Saint-Saëns, Épretot.

For the broader travel overview: Seine-Maritime.