Map card here.
2 Avenue Mountbatten
14117 Arromanches les Bains
Normandie France
00 33 2 31 21 52 63 from UK
02 31 21 52 63 in France
cox.adrian@wanadoo.fr
Normandy Beach
Arromanches
Bed & Breakfast with a difference.
Karen and Adrian Scott Cox
Specialist in breaks for Bike, Cycle, Car and other specialist interest Clubs,
Central to the 1944 D-Day Invasion Beaches
Based in Arromanches les Bains, just 80 yards from the sands of Gold Beach, and the famous war-time "Mulberry
Harbour," Karen and Adrian live with their daughter Adrienne in what was the last working farm in this famous little
village.
Surrounded by beautiful countryside steeped in history from the time of William the Conqueror, through to the
dramatic events of the 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe, they have created an ideal touring base for the area,
meeting the requirements of :
* Motorcyclists
* Car clubs
* Divers
* Cyclists as well as individuals and families looking for something special.
With 4 rooms in our newly renovated barn, groups up to 12 can be accommodated in comfort, and even larger groups can be organised within the village. Rooms 1, 2 & 3 have a double plus a single bed, and Room 4 has a double plus 2 single beds. All rooms have en-suite facilities.
ACCOMODATION PRICES
Rooms 1, 2 (Double + single) 45 Euros Per night
Room 4 (Double + 2 singles) 55 Euros Per night
Continental Breakfast 6 Euros Per person
Full English (Enormous !!) 8 Euros Per person
Children under 6 Free
Additional bed10 Euros
Sorry ! No credit card facilities
(Prices subject to review Jan 2005)
Normandy Beach; the Farm
The farm is unusual in that it is actually in the village itself, close to the sea, bars, restaurants and facilities, and yet, up until a few years ago was still supplying eggs milk and cream to locals and tourists alike.
The stone farmhouse, its outbuildings and barn, together date back over 300 years. The ground floor of the barn is home to hundreds of swallows, and tucked away in one of the outbuildings is a wood fired bread oven.
Over the years, circumstances have eaten away at the farm's land. Its fields on top of the east cliff were requisitioned as a German radar station, and are now the site of a 360 degree cinema in memory of the D-Day Landings.
By the late eighties, it was no longer really viable as a farm, and in December 1999 was bought from the original family by Karen and Adrian, to start its new life as a "Chambre du Hotes" touring centre.
The Facilities
Accommodation:
The barn, has 4 large bedrooms, each with its own en-suit bathroom. Rooms 1, 2 & 3
have a double plus a single bed, and Room4 has a double plus 2 single beds. All rooms
have en-suite facilities.
Garage and Parking
The ground floor is a dedicated garage area for motor bikes, boats and classic cars, and is normally inhabited by a 1944 Jeep, 1942 Dodge Weapons Carrier, Ferret Armoured car and a 1956 Minor Convertible. The Courtyard and garage provide a very secure parking area.
The Bar-b-que
The courtyard is always available for guests use, and we can help you organise things if
you would like, including help with picnics and parties; no problem !
Breakfast is available in the main house, or can be delivered to the room.
The menu ranges from simple "Continental" at 3.50 Euro, (with croissants and baguettes
from our brilliant village bakery) to a "Full English" eat all you can breakfast at 4.50 Euro,
including personally imported Heinz Baked Beans, and proper bacon.
Probably best to come into the house for the full English, as the porridge and bacon tend
to get a bit cold running across the courtyard.
Coffee and Tea making facilities, plus towels and toiletries are provided in each room.
Children No problem. Cots, extra beds, toys and bikes are normally available, and the beach is just
brilliant and very safe ! Life-guards are based on Arromanches beach through July and
August.
Library We have a quite large collection of books and documents relating to the D-Day invasion, and these are spread amongst the rooms. These include works by Eisenhower, Bradley, Montgomery, Churchill, Von Rundstedt and AlanBrook, as well as fascinating and very personal accounts by foot soldiers and tank commanders at the sharp end.
What and where to eat
The village itself has a good selection of restaurants and bars with a range of prices and styles, and an even wider choice is available if you drive 5 miles into the centre of Bayeux, across to Port en Bessin, or down to Courseulles.
The Chateau at Seully is a real treat, exquisite food in sumptuous surroundings. The Lion d'Or in Bayeux was the choice of BBC correspondents after the 1944 D-Day invasion, and to eat there today you can understand why.
If you want Coke and Chips, Mac Donalds do it French style with a choice of "Tomme Blanche", "Chaumes" or "Livarot" on your cheeseburger; I kid you not !
Everywhere here, the Seafood is just incredible ! Where else do you get the fisherman dropping you off a box of 1 hour old fish at your door with stern warnings not to eat it until tomorrow when it will taste better ?
And if you are into Oysters and all those other little shellfish delicaciesat the other end of the beach we have a couple of sea food farms.
Wonderful cultivated oysters, exotic flat round "Roman" oysters or enormous wild "Sauvage" oysters compete with spider crabs and flotillas of live Lobsters cruising round the holding tanks en route to your plate. A glass of chilled Sincere, a squeeze of lemon, and little vinegar laced with red onion. Mmmmmm.
And of course, you are welcome to make use of our kitchen if you fancy trying out some dishes yourself.
What to do
History:
Littered with leftovers from Hitler's Atlantic Wall defences, there is something of Military interest around every corner. To help you, we have a selection of maps available showing the location of wartime defences, aerodromes, tank-parks, flak defences, all taken from aerial reconnaissance photo's of the period.
Museums:
All along the coast, the events of 1944 are explored in a variety of styles, from the massive and stunning Caen Memorial, to individual Regimental museums.
Architecture:
Normandy is not just 1944, and is rich in beautiful Chateaux, churches and parks and beautiful
countryside. Bayeux tapestry, 1000 years old and quite amazing. "1066 and all that", "one in the eye for Harold". All the School History lessons suddenly mean something in this well interpreted presentation the Walkman-style listen as you go guide is really good. Vintage Cars from Cadillac to Bugatti, from 1900 through to 1950 are almost overshadowed by the beauty of the 12th Century barn in which they are housed, at the "Belle Epoque" museum at Pont L'Eveque.
Culture:
During the summer season there are events organised all along the coast. In particular Bayeux excels in providing concerts, free open air Cinema, Firework displays, Medieval Battles, and live music bars.
Arromanches enjoys concerts in the church from Baroque ensembles to Belarus Cossack choirs. The beautiful cathedral at Bayeux hosts excellent music events, and is very friendly and accessible.
The Arromanches "Committee des Fetes" organise parades at every opportunity, and also theme party evenings at the "Salle des Fetes" on the sea front.
Other special events along the coast include the excellent Luc sur Mer sea front air-show, various beachfront concerts, and even mega-sand castle competitions.
And, for something a little different, Normandy Beach is home of the "International Sand Sculpture School", a great excuse for your host to slope off to the beach during the afternoon to create full size fantasy Mermaids.
Action and Sport:
Para-gliding. The Arromanches cliffs that run down to Port-en-Bessin provide some of the best flying conditions anywhere along the north coast of France, and it is not unusual to see a dozen or so pilots wheeling through the air with the seagulls. Contact FFVL (Federation Francaise Vol Libre) on their web-site for licence requirements.
Ballooning. Good flying possibilities throughout the area, and for when the wind is in the wrong direction, there is always the Balleroy Ballooning Museum and Chateau about 20 mins drive away.
Wreck diving. Arromanches has its own dive-club that undertakes supervised visits to many of the wrecks that litter the coastline here. The wrecks Museum at Port-en Bessin gives you an idea of the hardware that is there to be explored.
Horse riding. We have great horse riding. From children's pony rides round the fields, to beach gallops and all day trekking through wonderful countryside. Prices from º7/hr children's pony trekking, and a half days adult trekking, generally much cheaper than in UK. And so relaxed !
Trail riding. The area has miles of unmade tracks and bridle-ways that are suitable for sensible use by trailbike riders. In addition, with a bit of notice, a local farmer or two can be induced to open up some of the more remote and extreme areas of their land for a bit of hard core fun.
Sand Yachting. The premier site in Europe for this fast and elegant sport is just at the end of our beach.
Golf. The Omaha beach golf course offers some excellent facilities for day membership, or organised group bookings.
Karting. Great new facility close to the huge Mondeville 2 shopping centre on the Caen perifique, about 35 mins from here. Two circuits, totalling 1.4km.
Classic Cars and Bikes. A favourite venue for club rallies and outings, the area has its own clubs and events throughout the year. The annual June classic bike tour runs through Arromanches and typically has 200 entrants in a superbly organised cavalcade.
Let us know your interests, and we will try to make contact with local clubs or owners before your visit.
Food, Drink and Regional Products
For wines and beers, try the "Normandy Wine Warehouse" just outside the port at Ouistriham, or next to MacDonalds near the port in Cherbourg. Good English speaking staff will help you through your choice.
For ciders and Calvados, numerous farms and small producers still flourish in the area. One very friendly producer has just opened a small shop in Arromanches itself, and offers the chance to try before you buy.
Don't forget to try the Pommeau, a sweet, slightly alcoholic almost sweet sherry made from cider apples wonderful, as an "apperro" served chilled.
Kir Normand, a variation on the Kir Royal made with champagne, this is Crme de Cassis, a creamy rich blackcurrent cordial, spiced up with a slug of chilled Normandy Cider.
Bayeux Market is the place to taste on Saturday Mornings, with the smell of sausage, chicken, paella, cous-cous, choux-croute « meats on a bed of pickled cabbage, hot dogs, crepe-pancakes, gaufre-waffles, and warm fresh bread mingling with the subtle aromas of cheeses, dried sausages, olives and spices.
But that's not all. Excellent local crafted furniture competes with antique oddities. Market fashion rubs shoulders with ducks, chickens, pigs, rabbits, pigeons and anything else that can be petted or potted.
If you enjoy Bayeux market Saturday, then Port en Bessin is your venue for Sunday. Smaller scale, more fish, and more farm produce. You can even watch the boats coming in to tie up and unload their catches in this great little port. Chill out with a beer or coffee in one of the quayside cafes.
Fish Markets take place at all the ports and in many villages. If something takes your fancy, you can always bring it back here to be cooked, or you can bbq in the courtyard.
And our personal favourite « our village bakery. The best bread ever ! Cakes and cream creations that defy the strongest will and diet. Baking all day up to 8.30 in the evening, we visit several times per day, sometimes even half way through a meal if we run out of bread between courses.
Foires au Grenier and Brocante. Brilliant antique and almost antique hunting at the frequent fairs you see advertised on lamp posts everywhere. Some good things still left to be found, and generally prices here are dropping if you push hard.
D-Day 6th June 1944
Port en Bessin marks the meeting point of the American and British 1944 D-Day invasion beaches. The village features heavily in 1960's block-buster "The Longest Day".
Just up the road is the American Cemetery featured in "Saving Private Ryan". Very Moving.
All along the coast you stumble across War Graves. British Cemeteries, Canadian Cemeteries, Polish Graves, French graves. 200 here, 500 there, 1000 in the next village.
Everywhere you find remnants of Hitler's "Atlantic Wall" fortifications, trenches, gun emplacements, blockhouses, radar sites. And we know some you probably wouldn't otherwise find.
Numerous Museums remember and explain the great and terrible events of 1944.
Caen has its stunning and massive Memorial, a museum dedicated to peace.
Bayeux has its excellent "Normandy Battle Museum", well interpreted with period newspapers plotting the progress of allied forces during the months after D-Day. Large Uniform collection, and a well presented vehicle display.
Pegasus Bridge has its new museum, a good mix of history and poignant personal mementoes.
Blockhaus Hillman a major hold-up on D-Day, this German strongpoint is slowly being renovated.
Merville Batterie on the extreme east of the invasion beaches threatened the invasion shipping and was neutralised in a daring but costly parachute drop.
Longues Batterie the only part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall that still contains its original weapons. Just 5 minutes from Arromanches, 5 large bunkers set back from the cliffs, overlooking the Mulberry Harbour.
Monte Fleurry Batterie the other side of the hill from Arromanches, where Stan Hollis won the only VC to be awarded on D-Day. Read his sad story in the Arromanches Museum.
Douvres Radar site originally attacked by the Canadians on D-Day +1, this site, exceptionally well restored, held out for 10 days before it was finally overcome in a fierce battle. Now a Museum of radar technology.
Airborne Forces Museum, St Mere Eglise, a superb American Museum including an original, "took part in the drop" DC3 Dakota troop transport.
Pointe du Hoc, a savage moonscape of craters that was once a German battery, and that was taken by US Rangers who climbed 200ft cliffs suffering terrible losses, to secure the invasion beaches.
Port en Bessin has its Museum of wrecked tanks and ships that have been lifted from the seabed.
Arromanches, site of the Artificial Harbour floated across the channel during the inva sion to unload desperately needed supplies, also has its Museum. Look out of the windows and you see the stark remains of the huge floating concrete blocks that were used to build a port the size of Dover.
The 360-degree cinema on the top of the hill at Arromanches is also not to be missed.
Call, and we can send you a selection of brochures on these and many other sites.
TO SUM UP..
* Arromanches is a great place to be for a couple of days or a couple of weeks. There's beaches, food, cider, history, and in general the weather is just that couple of degrees higher than UK, and that makes a difference !
* We are not a hotel, just somewhere great to stay. We can help you find your way around, and even take you there if you want.
* Just half an hour by car from the Caen/Oustriham ferry port connecting with Portsmouth (Brittany Ferries), or an hour from either Le-Havre or Cherbourg (P and O), we are ideally central on the Normandy beaches for touring by car, cycle or motorbike.
* If you want a car-free walking or cycling holiday, we can pick you up from the ferry, and sort out some routes tailored to your interests.
Out of season here is equally interesting, just fewer tourists and even more relaxed ! Accommodation at SportsTourer.orgAccommodation at SportsTourer.org
