It was a book and a train that
prompted my current journey, particularly the Granville-Paris Express of
October 1895. That train left Granville
early, at 8.45 in the morning and took just over an hour to reach Vire. Travel by train at that time was much
slower and dirtier due to coal dust and the steam from the engine. Travel by rail was also very much a
class-based thing, with more expensive, comfortable seats in first class for wealthier travellers and a gradual decline in comfort and space for second- and third-class passengers.
I’m not taking the
train. It’s too modern and too fast. However, if you look at a map, you will see the current rail line leaves Granville and takes an almost due west direction that pretty much follows the route of the D924 to Villedieu-les-Poêles, which is where I’m camped. At Villedieu, the D924
becomes the D524 to Noues and Vire, and the railway continues on a very similar
course. From the coastal area, the
scenery begins to change, becoming more rolling as my journey takes me west. It’s a dismal day in September, and there are intermittent
showers.
Vire has a population
of just over 10,000 people, but its history stretches right back to the early Middle Ages. The surrounding countryside
is grassland and forest, ideal for farming and referred to as bocage.
The town sits on a river of the same name that flows for 128Ks out
to the English Channel. In the 12th
century, Vire was part of the duchy of Normandy and therefore, part of England
for a while. The original industries here
were farming, leatherwork/tanning, and textiles. When the Industrial Revolution reached Normandy, a railway was built, and the station here in Vire opened on October
1st, 1866. And that’s my
first port of call.
As soon as I turn onto the street that gives me access to the station, I can see that I am out of luck. The old 19th-century building I was hoping would still be there has been replaced by a more contemporary, clean-lined building constructed little more than 60 years
ago. During the Normandy bombings in 1944/45, this town, like so many others, was practically obliterated, with around 95% of what was here for earlier train visitors destroyed. As I make my way back into the heart of town, I can see what little remains of the old is mixed with and overshadowed by the new.
Église Notre-Dame
sits in the heart of what would have been the original old town. Built in the Gothic style over a number of years, it replaced an old Romanesque church dating from the 12th century, which had been constructed on the orders of Henry 1 (Henri Beauclerc). In the forties, it was severely damaged, and the restoration took 12 years to complete. It is primarily constructed of granite and is considered one of the finest pieces of architecture in all of Normandy.
On my way back through town, I come across the clock tower, which sits above the main gate to the old fortified town. The gate dates from the
13th century, with the clock and bell tower being added two hundred
years later. Despite the lack of sun and
the showers, I manage to get a reasonable shot – see above.
The only other old artefacts that would have been here in 1895 for fellow travellers, that I can find, are the remains of the chateau and the old dungeon, which were part of the fortified town. This large and
impressive round tower is now surrounded by modern buildings and discoloured by exhaust emissions from the constant traffic around it.
If you enjoyed this post, you can find the previous ones by clicking the links Granville part 1 , Granville part 2 , and my review of the book, The Paris Express, is Here
There will be more
from my journey following the Granville-Paris Express next month, so keep
watching this space…
