Épaignes is a commune in the Eure department, in the Normandy region, 11 km south-west of Pont-Audemer.
Its 26 km² territory belongs to the natural region of Lieuvin, a bocage plateau occupied in Antiquity by the Lexovians, Gauls who had Lisieux as their capital.
The course of the Douet Tourelle, a sub-tributary of the Touques (which flows into the sea between Deauville and Trouville), has its source in the locality which has preserved a very green environment. Grasslands occupy 54% of its area, and there are also arable and agricultural land (38%) and a few hectares of forest.
The village which takes its name from veterans of the Roman army of Spain who settled there in the 3rd century really developed from the 11th century onwards at the will of the lord of Conches, Roger I of Tosny.
Affected by the Liberation battles that followed the Allied landings in the summer of 1944, Épaignes (which has nearly 1,600 inhabitants) nevertheless retains a heritage of interest. Its bucolic landscapes, its local products and its cultural vitality are to be appreciated during a stay in Normandy, between Lisieux and Deauville...
The Saint-Antonin church is one of the two heritage sites of the town protected as historical monuments. If the parish was founded in 1018, dependent on the spiritual plan of the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Préaux, the current building was essentially rebuilt from the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 16th century. The porch and the sacristies were nevertheless added in the 19th century. As for the bell tower, it was rebuilt after the bombardments of 1944. Very recently, part of the interior decorations at the level of the triumphal arch were restored, having also been abused during the war. This had also been the case, earlier, of the high altar and an Art Deco-inspired Stations of the Cross.
Next, the town hall-school, a beautiful building from 1877 with a central body and projecting side pavilions. Built in stone and brick, the alternation of materials constituting a decoration in itself, the building was designed at the time by the architect André Perrée.
In addition to dwellings and farms with characteristic Norman architecture, even if of contemporary construction (with half-timbering), several memorial monuments bear witness to the town's painful past in the 20th century and can punctuate a heritage discovery trail. This is the case of the monument to the dead erected after the First World War which represents a Poilu, but also of the Monument des Anglais erected in memory of the 17 British combatants who fell during the liberation of the locality on August 25, 1944 and the monument dedicated to the four guerrillas belonging to the Maquis Surcouf de Pont-Audemer shot by the Germans in Epaignes on August 4, 1944.
On the cultural side, shows and community events are regularly offered in the beautiful village hall. Information in town hall on +33 2 32 57 88 30.
For athletes, it is possible to reserve a tennis court with the local club on +33 6 14 47 72 33.
In terms of hiking, are available to walkers on the territory the "Chemin de la Baretterie" (5.8 km long, i.e. 1h30 of route with departure from the town hall), dedicated to the heritage and the bocage landscapes of the nearby countryside and a "biodiversity trail", on the west of the town (6.7 km), centered on the discovery of nature in a preserved environment. Larger loops are possible to reach Pont-Audemer, discover the Touques valley or even the coastal beaches (25 km). Secure routes for cyclists are also available. Maps and information on +33 2 32 56 34 29.
When you return from a walk, don't forget to enjoy local Normandy products! Thus, the Houssaye farm specializing in poultry has a point of sale in the town: join +33 2 32 42 53 53). As for the "Royal Normande" chocolate factory, its workshop and shop are open to the public from Monday to Friday: contact +33 2 32 57 26 23.
