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©Stephane Maurice - Calvados Attractivite
The Stud farms RouteIf Normandy is the land of the horse par excellence, the Authentic Normandy is its cradle.

The Stud farms Route

If Normandy is the land of the horse par excellence, the Pays d’Auge and more particularly Authentic Normandy is its cradle. The Lisieux Normandie Tourist Office invites you to embark on “the noblest conquest of man”. Along this 60-kilometre route, admire authentic Norman hedged farmland or “bocage”, exceptional viewpoints, and more than twenty stud farms where Normandy’s magnificent horses are born, bred, and trained.

The Stud farms Route

A map to locate the stud farms visible from the road

The stud farms route

If Normandy is the land of the horse par excellence, the Pays d’Auge and more particularly Authentic Normandy is its cradle. The Lisieux Normandie Tourist Office invites you to embark on “the noblest conquest of man”.

Along this 60-kilometre route, admire authentic Norman hedged farmland or “bocage”, exceptional viewpoints, and more than twenty stud farms where Normandy’s magnificent horses are born, bred, and trained.

Depending on the vegetation, these stud farms are more or less visible from the road, but are not open to the public. Please respect their privacy. In addition to the buildings, riding schools and training rings, you can also see the females and their foals, yearlings and stallions in the pastures.

In the mornings you are likely to see the horses in training while in the afternoons, you can see them resting in the fields. This route takes you along charming little country roads. Please drive carefully and respect the highway code.

Roadbook

  1. Start the route

The starting point for this route is the Lisieux Pays d’Auge Tourist Office, at 11 Rue d’Alençon in Lisieux. Follow the D579 towards Livarot / Alençon, leaving Lisieux behind. You will cross a bridge over the ring road and arrive at a roundabout. Continue straight over the roundabout towards Livarot (D579). After about 500 metres you will see Saint Hippolyte Manor on the right (not open to the public).

  1. Turn right

Leave the D579 and turn right towards the Domaine Saint Hippolyte (Saint Hippolyte Estate). Pass the entrance to the estate and continue along the road until you reach a crossroads.

  1. Turn left

At the crossroads, turn left and take the D182 towards Saint-Julien-le-Faucon. You will pass HIPPOSEA – DOMAINE DE L’ASTRAGALE, an equine fitness and show jumping stable (on your right), then on your left you will see HARAS DES REGNIERS, a stud farm which breeds Thoroughbreds and polo horses as well as offering stabling and training.

  1. Turn left

At the crossroads, turn left and take the D103 towards Lessard-et-le-Chêne. On the left is PREVOST BARATTE – FERME DES CHAMPS, stables specialising in breaking, pre-training and preparation for breeze-up sales, then on the right is HARAS DE LA ROUSSERIE, a stud farm where Thoroughbreds and polo horses are bred and stabled with stunning views of the valley.

  1. Turn right

At the crossroads, turn right onto the D136 towards Coupesarte. On the right you will see HARAS DE SAINT-MARTIN-DU-CHENE, a private Trotter and Thoroughbred stud farm, on both sides of the road. Here you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views across the valley. On the right, you can catch a glimpse of LESSARD-ET-LE-CHENE CASTLE through the trees (not open to the public). Bear right on the D47 towards Coupesarte.

  1. Turn right

Turn right and take the D182a towards HARAS DU HOGUENET. Stop at the first crossroads and walk up to the right to see HARAS DE LESSARD-ET-LE-CHENE, a yearling stud farm. From the second entrance on the left, you can admire the inner courtyard at HARAS DE LESSARD-ET-LE-CHENE as well as views of LESSARD-ET-LE-CHENE CASTLE and HARAS DE SAINT-MARTIN-DU-CHENE stud farm. Return to your car.

  1. Turn left

At the crossroads at HARAS DE LESSARD-ET-LE-CHENE, turn left towards HARAS DU HOGUENET. On the left you will see this family-run stud farm which offers stabling, foaling, preparation for sales and convalesce. Further on, you will also see HARAS DE MARANCOURT. Stop to admire the many horses in the pastures and panoramic views of the Vallée de Vie.

  1. Continue straight ahead

At the junction, continue straight ahead (give way to the right).

  1. Turn left

At the crossroads, turn left onto the D511 towards Saint-Julien-le-Faucon. Opposite, HARAS FERGANDE (a Thoroughbred stud farm) overlooks the valley. Continue until you arrive at the village of Saint-Julien-le-Faucon where you will find a bakery, delicatessen, grocery shop and restaurant.

  1. Optional: turn left

As you enter the village, you can take a detour by turning left towards Coupesarte Manor on the D47. Just before the church, turn right onto the estate where you can walk around the manor house and its beautiful outbuildings. You could follow the “voie verte” (old railway line) which takes you from Le Mesnil-Mauger to Sainte Gauburge. Leaving the manor house, go back towards Saint-Julien-le-Faucon and stop at the gates of HARAS DE LA BARBOTIERE on the right-hand side, a beautiful ensemble of traditional Norman houses and buildings. This modern and efficient breeding facility also offers stabling for broodmares. Return to the village of Saint-Julien-le-Faucon to resume the route.

  1. Turn right

After leaving the village, turn right at the first crossroads and take the D47 towards Mézidon-Canon. On this road, you will see LE HARAS DU NOUVEAU MONDE and its training track (on the left) as well as LE HARAS DU PLESSIS MASSAY, a stud farm where show jumpers are sold (on the right).

  1. Turn right

As you enter the village of Le Mesnil-Mauger, turn right and follow the sign for “Maire-Ecole-Salle des Fêtes”. Cross the railway line (you will see the HARAS HAUZET training track on the left). Continue to the church and go straight on (do not take the road to Grandchamp on the right). You will follow a road lined with poplars. On the left, you can admire COIN MANOR and, on the right, DOMAINE DE LYS – HARAS DES COUDRETTES. Stop on the right at a charming grotto that will remind you of another more famous one.

  1. Turn right

At the crossroads, turn right and follow the D16 towards Crèvecœur for 300 metres.

  1. Turn right

Turn right towards the Saint-Loups Cheese Dairy (not open to the public). Follow the road around several bends.

  1. Turn left

Turn left at the small junction.

  1. Turn right

Turn right at the small junction. You are at the entrance to the MONT-DE-LA-VIGNE MANOR (remarkable architecture, open to the public on Sundays from 1:30 – 7:30 p.m.). Enjoy stunning views as you pass Mont-de-la-Vigne. On the left, you will see HARAS DE BEAUVAL, a centre specialising in breaking, pre-training and preparation for breeze-up sales.

  1. Turn right

Just before the sign for Monteille, turn right following the “réserve incendie” sign. You will have a superb view of Mont-de-la-Vigne.

  1. Continue straight ahead

Continue straight ahead passing the service entrance to HARAS DE BONNEVAL.

  1. Turn right

Turn right onto the first small road you come to and arrive at the superb gate of HARAS DE BONNEVAL, a commercial stud farm where you can see Prince Aga Khan’s stallions. The Aga Khan Studs in France now cover 600 hectares of beautiful land in Normandy, of which around 130 hectares belong to the HARAS DE BONNEVAL, the stud farm where the stallion stable is located and where non-Aga Khan mares are housed. Continue along the road.

  1. Turn right

When you arrive in Saint-Crespin, turn right at the crossroads and take the D180 (downhill). From this road, you will have a superb view of HARAS DE BONNEVAL.

  1. Turn left

At the junction, turn left and take the D269a towards Caparmesnil (entrance to the village).

  1. Turn left

Turn left into Caparmesnil, towards Grandchamp-le-Château. From this road, you can enjoy magnificent views of MERANDERIE MANOR and HARAS DE SAINT CRESPIN on the left.

  1. Turn left

When you arrive in Grandchamp-le-Château, turn left and take the D269 towards Lécaude. On this road, stop in front of GRANDCHAMP CASTLE (not open to the public). Along the road, you will pass HARAS DE LÉCAUDE, a stud farm and home to Olympian Penelope Leprévost’s show jumpers.

  1. Turn right

As you arrive in Lécaude, turn right and take the D180 towards Les Monceaux. Cross the forest of Lécaude. HARAS DES MONCEAUX is on the right. Take a moment to admire the view, the buildings, and the horses.

  1. Turn right

Turn right just after the sign for “La Forge Vallée” and follow signs for “Les Monceaux-église”. You will pass HARAS DES MONCEAUX, a leading stud farm in breeding Thouroughbreds and preparing for sales. HARAS DES MONCEAUX was established in 1925 by Mr Ralph Beaver Strassburger, an American industrialist, who quickly made it one of the jewels in the crown of Normandy’s breeding industry. At the time, the stud farm covered 125 hectares. He saw the birth of great champions whose lineage still appears in the Thoroughbred Stud Book.

  1. Option

Optional: continue along the dead-end track on foot to admire the church and beautiful views of the Domaine des Bruyères estate (here you have the option of starting a walking trail from Les Jonchets to La Cour Fleuriel). If you would like to take this detour, turn left opposite the entrance to HARAS DES MONCEAUX, following signs for “chemin mairie”. Please note, it is difficult to park in front of this path: park at the town hall and walk back. If you wish to skip the detour and continue with the route, turn left towards “chemin-mairie”.

  1. Turn right

At the crossroads at Les Monceaux town hall, turn right and take the D103 towards Fervaques. On your right, you will see LES ÉCURIES DU PRESSOIR, a sports horse stud farm and advanced riding training centre.

  1. Continue straight ahead

At the “La Corne” crossroads, continue straight on towards Fervaques (D103). You will pass LES ÉCURIES DE LA VARENDE, a sports horse stud farm. Drive slowly to catch a glimpse of the stables.

  1. End of route

On the left, return to Lisieux on the D182. Continue straight ahead on this road and enjoy views of the town of Lisieux, the BASILICA OF SAINTE THÉRÈSE and the spires of the CATHEDRAL OF SAINT-PIERRE. On the left, you can see the last stud farm on this route, ECURIES D’ASSEMONT.

Information

Authentic Normandy Tourisme

Office de tourisme de Lisieux Normandie

11 rue d’Alençon

14100 Lisieux


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