The best traffic-free bike rides around Smermesnil

A must-see

The Notre-Dame church was built from 1170 and the building retains an inscription dated April 26, 1170. The bell tower dates from the 12th century and the choir dates from the 13th century. The church was restored at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The building is listed as a historical monument by decree of July 19, 1926. Structural disorders made work necessary in the 2010s, approved by the municipal council of the commune in 2018 and a local heritage preservation association founded in May of the same year.

Listed as a Historic Monument, the Notre-Dame church is a very interesting building that expresses some very characteristic features of the architecture of the Norman School, particularly in the Gothic choir attributed to the 13th century. The bell tower-porch has a late 15th century portal with an ogival arcade that frames an openwork tympanum. Above the portal is built a flamboyant style rose window. The nave, flanked by two side aisles, was built in the 13th century, but was extensively remodeled in the 16th and 17th centuries. It has an interior elevation on 3 levels. All that remains of the primitive Romanesque church is the base of the old lantern tower. Visible only from the outside, it is located at the crossing of the transept. The church has some singularities: -The sepulchre dating from the 15th century, representing Christ stretched out on a shroud, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Saint John the Evangelist, the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene. -The stained glass windows are attributed for the most part to Édouard Didron, a great Parisian master glassmaker.

The Fontaine aux Dames wash house, purchased by the town hall in 1998, has undergone a complete restoration. The original building being in ruins, a reconstruction was carried out according to a Brayon washhouse model in the year 2000: low brick wall, oak frame and roofing in traditional local tiles. The wash house houses a ceramic work “the monument to the unknown lover” which we owe to the Brayon artists Jacques and Juliette Damville; This monument pays tribute to women for the role they played during the First World War.

The town of Neufchâtel is one of the martyr towns that suffered significant destruction during the 2nd World War. However, the city center which is a little away from the Avenue Verte deserves a little detour. Around the church, whose foundations date back to the 12th century, there are still a few old houses, the oldest of which, dating from the 16th century, now houses a museum.

Magnificent castle dating from the Renaissance whose plans were inspired by the castle of Chaumont s/Loire. Sequestered during the Revolution, the estate was transformed into a prison during the time of the Terror and housed up to 150 prisoners. It was returned to its owner in 1799. The site is now owned by the St Joseph Institute and the outbuildings house a private establishment for general and technical education, with in particular courses dedicated to horticulture and the hotel and catering industry. The castle offers accommodation services and room rentals for events. It is open to individual visits during the July-August period from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., except on reception days for weddings or other events. The gardens surrounding the castle were designed by Le Nôtre. A sign on the Avenue Verte also specifies that the village of Mesnières, entirely organized around the castle, deserves a little detour. It's true ...

The church is modern but no less impressive in its design. Stain-glassed windows are huge and the town is a delight.

Mesnières-en-Braye, very beautiful castle.