Englesqueville-la-Percée brings together bird protection, heritage preservation, seasonal sightseeing flights and apple products. When planning your trip, it is worth keeping these themes separate: the Natura 2000 site and the Château offer natural and cultural highlights, while a sightseeing flight depends on summer operations, the weather and the conditions at the time. This lets you choose a hotel in Englesqueville-la-Percée according to the kind of stay you have in mind, rather than treating all the offerings as one set itinerary.
Natura 2000 and Bird Protection
Englesqueville-la-Percée is one of the five municipalities across which the Natura 2000 site “Falaise du Bessin Occidental” extends. On 6 January 2005, the area was designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) under Directive 2009/147/EC. Twenty-four bird species meet qualitative and quantitative criteria for protection there. They include the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) and the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). The total number and the two species named here distinguish the scope of the grounds for protection from specific examples: the protected area encompasses 24 species, not just the two named here.
The Château de Beaumont-le-Richard
The protected features of the Château de Beaumont-le-Richard include an old chapel, a Romanesque window with zigzag moulding, part of the Romanesque cornice and the arcades beneath it. Zigzag moulding refers to the zigzag ornament on the window; a cornice is a horizontal projecting architectural feature, and arcades are a series of arches. These terms help identify the named features as distinct architectural details.
The protected property includes the castle’s remains, both underground and standing above ground. More recent agricultural buildings are excluded, as is the chapel, which has already been classified. The chapel is one of the protected features; its exclusion relates to the scope of protection for this property. The Château was classified as a historic monument on 16 September 1919 and listed as a historic monument on 21 February 1997. These two dates record the formal heritage protection under its respective status designations.
Seasonal Sightseeing Flights
Héli Événements offers sightseeing flights in Englesqueville-la-Percée from a temporary summer airfield. The Écureuil helicopter used can carry up to six passengers; the aircraft configuration may change. Flights may pass over Pointe du Hoc, the American Cemetery and the Gatteville Lighthouse. The exact flight path depends on operating conditions.
The service is seasonal and weather-dependent. If one of the destinations mentioned is important to you, check the possible flight path with Héli Événements in advance rather than assuming a specific route is fixed. Summer operations and weather also matter when choosing a date; a quick enquiry can help you fit the flight into the rest of your travel plans.
Apple Products at the Farm Shop
Ferme Saint Clair – Cidrerie Lebrec runs a farm shop in a former 16th-century château. It sells cider, Calvados, apple-based aperitifs, apple jelly and apple juice. The selection therefore ranges from drinks to apple jelly; the farm shop has a different focus from the protected area, château and sightseeing flights. If you would like to visit, it is advisable to get in touch before entering the farm shop.
Discover more destinations: Clinchamps-Sur-Orne, Sainte-Marguerite-De-Viette, Cahagnolles, Ouffières, Gonneville-en-Auge, Sainte-Honorine-Des-Pertes, Hermanville-Sur-Mer, Ouilly-Le-Tesson.
For the broader travel overview: Calvados.
