Half-timbered houses around the 12th-century church and a 17th-century castle give Le Mesnil-Sur-Blangy a distinct cultural and historical focus. The Les Écuries du Mont d’Auget equestrian centre also offers lessons, riding courses and a trail ride. When planning your trip, you can therefore pursue two different interests: the village’s architectural history and an activity on horseback.
Castle and village architecture
The Château de Morainville is a 17th-century castle, parts of which are listed as a Monument historique. It is privately owned, so you should not assume that the interior or grounds are accessible when planning your visit. The château is in a valley crossed by the Vitrebec stream, east of the church on the road to Blangy-le-Château.
There are half-timbered houses around the church, making the village’s own building style another cultural point of interest alongside the château. The term “half-timbered” refers to a construction method with a visible timber frame; it describes a different architectural approach from that of the château. The church dates from the 12th century, its oldest section is Romanesque, and its bell tower was built in the 18th century. This makes it possible to distinguish several periods of construction in the village.
Church: history and features
Coats of arms on the vault of the Église Notre-Dame du Mesnil represent the families who owned the lands and the Château de Morainville. This detail connects the church interior with the history of ownership of the château and the lands: here, the architecture tells not only of periods of construction, but also of the families associated with the village. The church windows feature stained glass. The painting “L’Adoration des bergers” was classified as a protected object on 13 May 1976.
The Église Notre-Dame du Mesnil is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Check the opening hours again before your visit so you can plan your time at the church accordingly.
Horse riding in Le Mesnil-Sur-Blangy
The Les Écuries du Mont d’Auget equestrian centre offers riding lessons on horses and ponies, as well as courses for beginners and advanced riders. Dates and availability may vary, so arrange your preferred lesson or course in advance. If you are looking for instruction, you can use the two stated experience levels to guide your choice.
Another option is a trail ride, which follows a path through the equestrian centre’s 20 hectares of meadows and offers views of the surrounding countryside. The trail ride may also vary in availability. The options therefore differ in focus: lessons and courses emphasise learning to ride, while the trail ride focuses on the route through the meadows and the views of the landscape.
Discover more destinations: Bernières-Sur-Mer, Louvières, Sainte-Marie-Outre-l’Eau, Osmanville, Maltot, Longraye, Arromanches-Les-Bains, Le Faulq
For the main travel overview: Calvados.
