GRP 7 Les trésors cachés du Coutançais

Presentation
Looking for hidden treasures, eastern loop (Coutances/ Marigny/ Coutances). Enjoy roaming freely by taking the long-distance footpath. Discover the hidden treasures of Coutances, (GRP7).

Remarkable points on the stroll
1- The church of Saint Nicolas de Coutances: the first church of Saint Nicolas, built in the XIVth century, was very damaged during the Hundred Years War, then during the religious wars of the XVIth century and finally in 1944. It remains however a magnificent example of the architectural persistence of the Norman Gothic style until the classical period.

2- Saint-Martin's church (17th century) in Monthuchon: it houses a Virgin of Pity and a listed lectern from the 15th century.

3- St Méen d'Ancteville fountain: located at the bottom of the cemetery, it has the reputation of curing a skin disease called rifle or psora

4- The Terrace of Muneville le Bingard: many small, well-preserved, shaded paths invite you to daydream. At the bend of one of them, you will discover a manor house of the XVIth century or a charming farm... like "La Terrasse".

5- The draught horse festival at La Ronde Haye: in August, with a parade of horse-drawn carriages, horse races, a handling test and the famous donkey race.

6- The Manor of Grand Taute in Saint Sauveur Lendelin: it was built by Jean le Coq, a judicial officer. Discover the life of a rural seigniory during the wars of religion. A very elaborate defensive system, perfectly preserved, protected the residence against possible enemy incursions

7- The monument to the memory of Robert Lee Duffy at the Menilbus : monument to the memory of the fighter pilot Robert Lee Duffy, of the 404th Fighter Group, whose P47 Thunderbolt plane crashed near the Mesnilbus on 27 July 1944. The aircraft was unearthed in 1992 and the pilot was identified, he had survived after parachuting and was living in the USA in Colorado.

8- The Tancredi Museum of Hauteville la Guichard: this museum recalls the epic of the Norman kings of Sicily, who left Hauteville in the 14th century to found a powerful kingdom in southern Italy

9- The German military cemetery in Marigny : the German military cemetery gathers more than 11 000 graves of German soldiers killed during the battle of Normandy.

9a- The Cobra Memorial in Marigny : the Cobra Memorial commemorates the operation of 25 July 1944, in the heart of Marigny, entrusted to the 7th US Corps of General Collins, which will change the course of the battle in the Cotentin and precipitate the liberation of France.

10- The castle of Carantilly: the current castle, built on an older manor, dates from the eighteenth century. The 2 facades are very different while retaining the same architecture: the north facade with a courtyard of honor lined with outbuildings, deliberately severe, and the south facade open to the park, with many sculptures and openings. The pond is designed for walkers, sportsmen, fishermen, young and old.

11- The church of Saint Remy Quibou: the church of Saint Remy is a building rebuilt in 1954 by taking advantage of the elements remaining in place: stained glass, tapestry and Stations of the Cross. It is one of the successes of the reconstruction after 1944.

12- Bonfossé Manor (15th / 17th century) whose chapel is listed as a historical monument (frescoes in the chapel).

13- Panorama on the hills of coutançais on the left and towards the marshes of contentin on the right.

14- The castle of Cerisy la Salle: the remains of the old castle, probably dating from the 16th century, are still visible on the N side: part of the enclosure and the base of a watchtower. Damaged during the wars of religion, it seems to have served as a stone quarry for the new construction of the seventeenth: bastioned castle manors of the mid-sixteenth century.
14b- The monument to the airmen of Cerisy la Salle : erected in memory of the Australian pilot and the 6 members of the British crew of a Lancaster bomber which crashed on the night of June 6th, 1944.

15- Montpinchon: numerous small, well-preserved, deep and shaded paths invite you to daydream. At the bend of one of them, you will discover a 16th century manor house or a charming farm... like "La Terrasse".

16- Notre-Dame and Sainte-Barbe de Savigny church (11th / 12th century): 17th century facade, Romanesque nave with a bell tower planted on the crosspiece. Romanesque capitals from the beginning of the 12th century with animal motifs (lions,...). Wall paintings from the 13th century.