Lonlay L'Abbaye: A very pretty village with former abbey and a river running through the centre. A public park behind the abbey contains an ancient timber building with a huge cider press and pressoire. There is a small biscuit factory open for tours and purchases if tempted. Tours Monday to Friday in season, producing the famous Lonlay L'Abbaye biscuits to be found all over France.

Fosse Arthour: just a few killometers west of Lonlay, a lovely river gorge with babbling brook and cliff faces on either side. A place for fishing, walking, climbing or just strolling, with a cosy riverside cafe.

Domfront:

4 miles (6K) beautiful medieval fortified town with castle ruins. Lovely timbered old town with numerous restaurants and good selection of shops. Market on Friday, Intermarche and Champion supermarkets. Over the first week-end in August a Medieval festival is held with a banquet, Jousting, encampments, theatre, medieval market and craft displays.

Lassay- Les-Chateaux: a picturesque little town with several restaurants and boulangerie. You can walk around the lake in front of the castle and sit in the public garden that is stocked with fruit and flowers from the period when the castle was built.

 

Airports: international airports operating at Rennes and Dinard (1hr 40m both) are the nearest.

Ferry Ports: Caen ferry port at Ouistreham is only 1hr 20m away and you can book via brittany ferries.

LD Lines run from Portsmouth to Dieppe and Le Havre

Flers: Large town with all facilities including a train station. On a direct line between Paris and Granville on the coast. Market on Saturday and large E Leclerc & Intermarche hypermarket. Internet cafe, restaurants, Depot de Vente and Chateau.

 

Maison de la Pomme et de la Poire:
A museum dedicated to showing the process of Cider and Perry making as well as growing many different varieties of the fruit trees specific to the area. There is also a drivable Cider and Pear route signposted around the neighbouring farms where cider and Perry can be sampled and purchased

 
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Bagnoles-de-l'Orne: A lovely victorian spa town with a casino nestling on the edge of a lake.Vibrant atmosphere with plenty of good restaurants and shops. Surrounded by forest into which you can walk and cycle on pathways. Also two cycle hire centres, outdoor and indoor swimming pools. But if your not feeling that active, take a spa treatment or walk off your lunch by taking a turn around the lake. 

I am doing just that with my neighbour on a day off in summer.

 

Mortain: A town 25 minutes drive away, famous for its Cascades or waterfalls. Also on the Route de Contra Attack, a way marked route by road following the path of the Allies advance towards Falaise after the D Day invasion in 1944

 

D Day Beaches: all of the landing beaches are within 1.5 and 2 hours drive of Le Grand Mesnil. The town of Arromanches is a good place to start, with its fine museum and 360 degree cinema, each helping you to understand the immense importance the area played during the second world war.

 

Omaha beach:A visit to the American cemetery above Omaha beach should not be missed as it helps to put into perspective the numbers of soldiers lost at that time. Towards the end of 2007 a new enterpretation centre was opened.

 

War Graves: Normandy has many cemeteries for the fallen of all nationalities of the Second World War.

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La Ferme du Cheval de Trait . Juvigny-Sous-Andain. 

30 minutes drive away.  Displays given daily in season covering the history of the horse and of riding. A wonderful collection of horses famous to the region, including the huge heavy horse known as the Percheron.

It  is possible to book for the performance or performance and mid day meal with a menu typical of this region.

 

Maison de la Pomme  et de la Poire- Barenton Manche.      20 minutes drive away. A lovely outdoor collection of hundreds of different Apple and Pear tree varieties common or historically of this area. Indoor displays with a huge press showing how cider and poire are made. ideal mix for children, of information and space to run about. free in off seasons, small charge in summer. Special events throughout the year.