Hiking between two places
The Circuit de Filières is an FFRandonnée route marked with PR® signs and a family-friendly hiking trail. It explores the countryside of the Pays de Caux and leads to the destinations of Saint-Gilles-de-la-Neuville and Gommerville. The starting point is at the Calvaire in Saint-Gilles-de-la-Neuville. If you include the Circuit in your stay, this named starting point is an important landmark for finding your way. The route combines views of the countryside with the opportunity to discover two places, offering a different focus from a visit devoted mainly to individual historic buildings.
Château de Filières and its landscape
Château de Filières and its park are protected as historic monuments, but under different protection categories. The two salons and the dining room were classified as a Monument historique by decree dated 13 December 1947. The rest of the château and the park were listed by decree dated 31 May 1946. The building’s history also spans different periods: two bays and an extension wing date from the reign of Henry IV, while the rest dates from the era of Louis XVI. The 18th-century Chinese salon features Chinese paintings on wood panelling. This allows visitors to distinguish different historical and decorative details within a single building.
The château stands at the centre of a large clos masure, a type of estate typical of the Pays de Caux, with planted embankments and an avenue known as La Cathédrale. The château’s park was designed by André Le Nôtre. Visitors can discover the restored orangery and chapel, and stroll through the park with its trees that are several centuries old. Check visiting arrangements for these attractions before you arrive.
Church and traces of local history
The Église Saint-Martin in Gommerville is a 12th-century Romanesque church and part of the town’s religious heritage. One of its distinctive features is a hidden door. The church also has a group of stained-glass windows comprising nine windows, each with standing saints and holy figures arranged in pairs. The group was donated in the 1870s by the related families Mirville, Dupré, Hocquart and Beaunay, as well as by Abbé Cacquerel. Architecture, religious imagery and the donors’ history are different aspects of the same church complex.
A surviving motte féodale is the only remaining trace of a former 14th-century castle. The castle belonged to Roger de Rames, a companion of William the Conqueror. Gommerville is also home to the preserved Ferme et le colombier des Rames; the Manoir and Colombier de Rebomard have also survived in the town. These buildings add other surviving farm and manor-house complexes to the history of the medieval castle.
A concrete road at Château de Filières is a relic of the German occupation. During the Second World War, it was intended to serve as a launch ramp for V1 rockets aimed at London.
Planning your stay
When choosing accommodation, your planned focus can help: the Circuit offers a family hike through the Caux countryside, while the church, motte and surviving buildings bring local history to the fore. If you are looking for hotels in Gommerville, you can weigh up these different interests as you plan. For activities at Château de Filières, check in advance whether the orangery, chapel and park are open to visitors. Gommerville also has an electric car charging station; check in advance that it will be available for your trip.
Discover more destinations: Le Havre, Saint-Pierre-En-Port, Wanchy-Capval, Beaubec-La-Rosière, Aubermesnil-Aux-Érables, Le Bourg-Dun, Le Bocasse, Fontenay.
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