I disembarked (got off the boat) on to French soil (concrete) at Le Havre with the sun just beginning to rise in front of my eyes and with Venus high in the sky at 05:23 BST. With a surprising amount of traffic about for the time of day, I went out of the harbour gates and followed the signs toCentre Ville. MAP
On Quai Casimir Delavigne, there is a museum dealing with the ancient port of Le Havre but it will not be open if you come, as I did, by overnight ferry.
Bear right at the traffic lights onto Quai Colbert, passing Bassin de la Barre and then the Bassin Vauban. Carefully turn left at next lights onto Cours de la République, bearing in mind the unusual system of roundabouts in the middle of sets of traffic lights.
It is possible to stick to the Boulevard Winston Churchill out of the city, which carries all the major traffic to the A15 auto route, or to
brave the docks along the Route Industrielle with its heavy lorries, but I found the best way is to follow Cours de la République along the edge of the city centre, passing the SNCF railway station on your right. This connects to the road to Harfleur which was the old road when what is now the city would have been beneath the waters of the Seine estuary. The road lanes take some getting used to at first, especially the system of having the bus lane down the middle of the road, and traffic lights every few metres.
After the railway station, which you pass on your right, keep in the left hand lane, following signs to Graville. Then, at the lights at the top of the rise, turn right into Rue Aristide Briand. MAP
The road soon becomes the Rue de Verdun and, after a couple of miles, dips under a bridge. Get onto the cycle track which makes things a little easier. At the first roundabout, go straight on following signs to Harfleur. At next roundabout, bear leftish, heading for Harfleur Centre. Immediately turn right into the one way system of Rue des Remparts and follow it to the waterfront.
The houses along the old harbour have been restored quite remarkably although they obviously do not date from the days of the Tin Road, but from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when this port, along with its counterpart, Honfleur - on the south bank of the estuary - was in its heyday.
Harfleur was likely the most well used over the centuries due to its more sheltered location. Honfleur has an extensive sea defence system which Harfleur did not need. Henry V landed his men here in 1415 prior to the Battle of Agincourt.
However, the location of Harfleur eventually proved its downfall due to silting up of the Seine on the north side - hence the need for the new port of Le Havre begun in the 15th century by King Francis I, builder also of Fontainbleau. His symbol of the golden salamander is evident, and the new port was named after him - Franciscoville - when it was finished in 1517. However, to the people who used it, it was always “The Harbour” and the title remains today.
The 83m bell-tower of St Martin’s church in the old town of Harfleur dates from this same period, though the aisle contains the 14th century tombstone of a local lord and lady.
Behind the Hotel de Ville in Harfleur there are some fine gardens and riverside paths near an old mill, but a direct journey takes us in the
opposite direction, to your right, and onto the adjacent old main road towards Rouen and Paris which more closely follows the river.
The Seine at present lies a mile or so to the south beyond the motorway bridge and industrial docklands but, at times, our route will be in a place which would have been submerged at the time of the Tin Road.
Follow the signs for Pont de Tancarville, the massive suspension bridge across the Seine. Another bridge, the Pont de Normandie, has now been built to connect Le Havre with Honfleur but you will see no more than a distant glimpse of this massive engineering feat in the distance away to your right. Until thirty-odd years ago, the only way to cross the Seine downstream of Rouen was by ferry. A few of these ferries still run today.
Pass through the village of Gonfreville. Avoid the motorway at the next junction by following the little symbols of a cycle which keep you on the D982 towards Rouen. The smell of cellulose paint fills the air as you skirt the massive industrial sites on your right, and there are some odd dwellings along the side of the road as well as quite a variety of trees as you skirt the villages of Rogerville and Oudalle. MAP
Oudalle is, of course, not a French name at all but a Norman one meaning “valley of water” (similar to the English Edale).
As I looked over to the south, I was glad I had not followed the Route Industrielle. The D112 takes the high road along the top of the cliffs to your left with allegedly fine views but I am allergic to steep hills and only climb them when absolutely necessary.
Ignore all roads leading onto the motorway and continue on the old road, admiring the impressive cliffs on your left and remembering that there was a time when the Seine really was that deep. Occasionally, a deeper swirl mark can be seen around 2 metres from the present ground level, suggesting that the river level was maintained at that depth for some considerable period.
Eventually, the road divides. The left route takes you on a detour up to the Château de Tancarville and the right goes over the
auto route to join the roundabout at the Tancarville end of the A15. It is obvious when crossing the bridge that all the land as far as the eye can see was once under water.
No matter how many times you’ve been here, your first sight of the Pont de Tancarville is awe-inspiring. This 1400m bridge, opened in 1959, seems to launch itself straight off the cliff top and dive into the Marais Vernier beyond. Its towers are 125m high and the centre span 608m in length. Even at high tide, there is 48m clearance above the water. Follow signs towards Tancarville, Lillebonne and Notre Dame de Gravenchon along the D982 thus bearing right at the roundabout.
When passing under the bridge, you get your first glimpse of the Seine proper as well as the Canal de Tancarville which was built to allow barges a short cut to the docks and to unload onto larger freighters for international transportation. Until recently, the river did not flow through here at all but negotiated a huge oxbow loop, skirting the tall limestone cliffs of Pointe de la Roque in the far distance right. To cut out about 4 miles of bendy river, the neck of the loop was snipped and the bridge built over the straightened section. For the athletic, there is a path up the cliff face to the bridge to allow for views and/or photographs of the whole area.
A road on the left allows another opportunity to visit the Château de Tancarville built in various sections since 10th century. It was
constructed in mainly three stages which can be clearly identified, even from a distance. On one side of the terrace stands a 12th century square tower, and the 15th century Eagle Tower, the only part still intact, stands opposite.
Raoul of Tancarville was granted a certain number of privileges by his pupil, William the Conqueror, for maintaining this strategic link in his complex system of defenses. The latest section of the château now contains a very plush (expensive) restaurant - Relais de la Pierre Gante. From there or its balcony, eating can be very pleasant overlooking the entire valley.
In the Gray family chapel of St Peter’s church at Chillingham in Northumberland, there are to be found the medieval tombs of Sir Ralph and Lady Elizabeth Gray. It was Sir Ralph’s uncle, Sir John Gray, who was declared Count of Tancarville after he captured the Château on behalf of Henry V and he did just so in 1419 after the 1415 landings. It is not certain whether the Eagle Tower and the other later fortifications were started by him or by the French afterwards to make sure he didn’t come back.
Turn right down a tiny lane towards the river and then the dirt track beside the allotments. Follow this track round to the left and to a
cross-roads where you turn right towards the pylons. Note the strange variety or pylons off to the right. At next roundabout, turn right again, following signs to Quillebeuf and the oil-refinery complex at Port Jérôme. A short diversion around to the lay-by brings you to the waterfront again where you can see across to the old Viking port of Quillebeuf which can be reached by one of the few ferries still running. The Télémaque sank offshore here in 1790 with, it is reputed, the crown jewels on board. MAP
From the ferry, take the long straight D110 towards the chimney (sign-posted Notre Dâme de Gravenchon). At the next roundabout at the main road, take the second exit on the right and enter the village of St Georges de Gravenchon. There is an interesting church here (St George’s) with a lead and copper composition of St George slaying the dragon (and we all thought he was English–St George, that is–not the dragon). Bear right at the traffic lights and keep to the right. Where the main road bears left, keep to the right towards Petiville on Rue Henri Dinand. At the mini roundabout just after the Peugeot dealer, keep straight on again over the main road on the D281. Hold your breath as you pass the sewage works.
Upon reaching Petiville, follow la Grande Rue. On the left is a beautifully restored half-timbered building typical of Normandy. The matching stone facade opposite and the shuttered bungalow further along complement this. There is a bit of a gradient up to Petiville, the only consolation being that it is considerable less than the one on the main road a mile or so to your left.
The Château d’Ételan, in harmony with many French rural stately homes, is open afternoons from 2:30 to 6:30 during the summer
holidays. The château was built on the site of a former fortress and its chapel contains 16th century wall paintings and fine woodwork. The views from the terrace are quite remarkable. MAP
Turn right into the Rue du Parc a few hundred metres further on, and then left into the Rue du Croquet. Go round by the church and down the Grande Rue. When you reach the main road at Norville, bear right, following the attractive road down the long hill.
At Villequier, take the minor road on the right along the riverside unless you particularly feel the need to visit the Victor Hugo Museum which is accessible from Rue Ernest Binet. Ignore the “locals only” sign which is designed to prevent foreign motorists disturbing the peace.
The village became well known when Léopoldine Hugo, Victor’s daughter, was drowned here with her husband, Charles Vacquerie, on September 4th 1843, just six months after their wedding. Two other relatives were also lost when the tidal bore, the Mascaret, swept upstream that fateful day. The volume of poems, Les Contemplations, expresses the great poet’s sorrow over the event. The rich Vacquerie family were boat builders from Le Havre and the museum is in the house once owned by the unfortunate Charles. Their tomb is in the cemetery of the 15th century church on the Caudebec Road. Victor’s wife, Adèle, is also buried there. Just outside town stands the 15th century Maison Blanche (White House) which has its staircase located in a turret alongside the façade overlooking the courtyard.
As you approach Caudebec-en-Caux you will see the Pont de Brotonne which fills the river-crossing gap between Tancarville and Rouen. Caudebec is the capital of the Caux (named after Celtic tribe - the Caletes) region and is naturally in the form of an amphitheatre facing the Seine. A charter was granted in 11th century to the monks of St Wandrille Abbey and, a century later, the town was surrounded by fortifications to keep out the English. They failed.
On the way in on the right is a museum about the Seine (again only open in afternoons but from March until October). Caudebec was one of
the towns which stood for the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion. After the Edict of Nantes granted freedom of religion in 1592, the town became a prosperous glove and hat making centre. Alas, the Catholic Church didn’t like this idea of Protestants earning all this lovely wealth, so they had the edict revoked, ending the period of prosperity in 1685.
Keep round to the right alongside the Quai Guilbaud where there are abundant places to eat your picnic lunch. I had a bottle of wine, packet of cheese and half a baguette. The Office du Tourism is at the far end on the right. If you need to buy vittles, there is an abundantly-stocked supermarket off to the left up a side road beside the church, a flamboyant edifice built between 1425 and 1539 and described by Henri IV as “the most beautiful chapel in the kingdom”. There has been a market in the square since 1390 (currently on Saturdays). MAP
As you leave Caudebec, observe the seaplane cut into the stone on your left near the 1280m long bridge which was built in 1977. The monument commemorates “Those of the Latham 47” who were lost in a bid to reach the North Pole in 1928. Roald Amundsen was among the crew of six who flew off from the Seine here at Caudebec to Bergen and Tromso and then simply... disappeared. They are probably sharing that semi in Romford with Messrs Maxwell and Presley.
Go straight on at the roundabout under the bridge towards Duclair and Rouen. Outside the town, take the road on the right for Gauville which avoids the long steep hill. When you eventually come out on the main road once more at le Trait, bear right. Go straight over the next roundabout towards Duclair.
The road suddenly changes direction and goes northeast, following the course of one of the Seine’s tributaries, the Austreberthe. Once, the
river flowed through this valley but now has been cut off by the Seine which is gradually snaking its way westwards.
Duclair is not especially inspiring except for the views of the river from the Liberation Quay which is shaded by lime trees.
A couple of miles further along the D982 I had my first multiple-choice decision to make. At St Martin de Boscherville, the main road cuts off a long promontory around the Forêt de Roumare. I could either go round it on the Route des Fruits, thus sticking to the low ground beside the river, or go up and over the top. I’ll warn you now, the hill is an evil bar-steward. However, the picturesque Route des Fruits, where (in summer) black currants, red currants and cherries are for sale, is very long so it was six of one and half dozen of the other. Me, I walked up the hill and, you know what they say? “What goes up...”
At Cantelau, you can stop just after the traffic lights and, on the right, there is a viewpoint with explanations of what you can see as you overlook the old Roman city of Rouen. MAP
The original city is off to the left of the river and contains many buildings of ancient and historic interest. The allies tried their damnedest to blow the whole place up during the last war because the occupying Germans refused to go home. I don’t suppose they bothered to ask what the natural inhabitants thought of it all. However, the old city has been painstakingly restored and is a perfect example of what can be achieved with loads of money.
The old cathedral is magnificent if you are into enormous religious edifices and the Place Notre Dame contains a great variety of varying architectural styles. The Gros Horloge (large clock) is worth a looking at, even if they did move it from its proper place, and so is the public square where Joan of Arc was burned alive. The new cathedral in the old market place commemorates the events surrounding her capture, betrayal, illegal trial, forced confession and subsequent execution (the West-Midlands Police Force obviously learned a great deal from the Church - allegedly). The museum opposite graphically describes her life and prolonged ordeal in several languages. Other delights of the city are listed in the green Guide Michelin.
If you are just passing through, the best way to avoid the traffic in the city centre is to use the old railway yards on the right between the dual-carriageway and the dockyard. Most of the area has now been turned into small trading units. Beware of the sunken rail tracks. If you are looking for the Youth Hostel, take the second river bridge (Pont Jeanne d’Arc) which has less of a climb up to it. Alternatively, there are three Formule 1 motels in and around Rouen - but only the one in the industrial sector of St Etienne de Rouveray is in any way convenient to your route. MAP
On the south side of the river (Rive Gauche-left bank, facing downstream) is the new town which contains a gigantic new administrative centre and shopping precinct behind which is the easily-found Youth Hostel (Auberge de Jeunesse) situated on the inner ring road (118 Boulevard de l’Europe) next door to the Leisure Centre. A swim at the end of the day is very pleasant to ease aching limbs and the parts only a saddle can reach.
The Youth Hostel is a reasonably new building but with no facilities at all for cycles which have to be left outside chained to railings round the back. I shared a six-bed room with a Polish cyclist on his way to Brittany, a French Canadian hitchhiker who spoke little English, a Scandinavian youth and a pair of Dutch motorcyclists who were quite peeved at not being able to share beds with their accompanying girlfriends, one of whom tried her hardest to teach me Dutch over dinner.
It’s strange. French law allows for billboards advertising Fifi’s delights and phone number to all and sundry but frowns on unmarried couples sharing beds. Very perverse. The Polish cyclist was a lecturer in Soviet studies and was unsure if he would have a job when he returned to Poland due to the recent demise of the Soviet Union. His wife, on holiday in Italy with the children, was a teacher.
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Ferry port, Le Havre
Bassin du Commerce, Le Havre
Hotel de Ville, Le Havre
The old dock side, Harfleur
waterfront, Harfleur
St Martin's Church, Harfleur
the old town, Harfleur
salamander emblem of Francios I
A15 auto route
Pont de Tancarville
Pont de Tancarville
Pont de Tancarville
Canal de Tancarville
Chateau de Tancarville
Eagle Tower - Chateau de Tancarville
The old castle - Chateau de Tancarville
The view from Chateau de Tancarville
Ferry at Port Jerome
the view across to Quilbeuf
Riverside gardens
Villequier - home of Victor Hugo
Caudebec-en-Caux
Pont de Brotonne
Brotonne National Park
shipping on the Seine
even the ducks have houses
view across Rouen from Canteleau
where the English burned Joan of Arc
Place de Notre Dame - Rouen
Gros Horloge
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