-
Small town in Normandy attracts record visits on Wikipedia
A new ranking puts this famous coastal town in first place, followed by a medieval hilltop favourite, and three mountain resorts
-
Bid for Normandy’s D-Day Beaches to gain UNESCO status
The World Heritage application has been relaunched after being submitted by France in 2018
-
France's most ancient oak tree and its two chapels face potential collapse
The 1,200-year-old Chêne d’Allouville, housing two unique chapels, urgently requires preservation efforts
French property watch: farmhouses and ferry links in Manche, Normandy
The department is home to ferry port Cherbourg and property bargains can still be found if you want a renovation project
Departmental capital: Saint-Lô
Main cities/towns: Cherbourg, Coutances, Granville, Avranches
Manche is the long ‘thumb’ sticking out into the English Channel (in French this is known as La Manche – literally ‘sleeve’, and hence the department’s name).
As many people who have raced to catch a ferry from Cherbourg for Poole or Portsmouth will know, it is long – around 150km from the south to its northernmost tip – and most of its roads are two-lane.
There are only 80km separating the south coast of England from the north of Manche, but even so, the weather is almost always that bit warmer and sunnier on the Manche peninsula than the Isle of Wight.
Read more: Seven key trends in new French property market data
Food and energy production
It is one of the richest, if not the richest, agricultural departments in France.
Milk, apples, corn, beef and lamb all grow to perfection most years.
Cherbourg is no longer the main port for transatlantic liners but still has ferry crossings, as well as a slow train service to Paris.
The department is also a centre for nuclear submarine building, nuclear power at La Hague, and, more recently, assembling off-shore wind turbines.
€29,500 renovation project
There are still property bargains to be had, including old farmhouses priced under €50,000 if you are prepared to do work.
Read more: Tips to avoid home renovation scams in France
One example was a two-room 70m² house with stone walls and brick window surrounds.
It came with two attached barns and 1,169m² of land for €29,500 in La Colombe in the extreme south of the department.
The walls looked solid, some of the corrugated iron roof would need replacement, but the house could be camped in while work starts.
Around 15% of properties are second homes, according to 2019 figures from the state statistics agency Insee.
Related articles
Houses in one of cheapest departments in France can have a hidden cost
Property watch France: Why buy in Maine-et-Loire and prices to expect
French property watch: Why buy in Loire-Atlantique and average prices