Abbey Hambye — Attraction in Coutances

Best visited early or late in the day when you'll often be the only person walking through soulful ruins. Ravens flying above add to an atmosphere of the soaring walls and arches. Not to be missed. Our Lady of Hambye Abbey was founded in 1145 along the river Sienne by Guillaume Painel, lord of Hambye. The abbey hosts Benedictine monks until the French Revolution. Partly dismantled in the 19th century, the abbey was saved in 1956 through the acquisition of the monastic buildings by Mr and Mrs Beck. The abbey church, the gatehouse and the lay brothers’ building were bought by the County Council of la Manche in 1964. Considerable works to restore and stabilize the remains of the abbey were undertaken. For more than 50 years the aim has been to preserve the dignity and beauty of the site and to improve its integration into the serenity of its fragile natural surroundings. For a moment out of time, stroll through the monks’ old cloister at the foot of the church's imposing ruins, admire the fine architecture of the chapter house, jewel of norman gothic architecture and linger in the shade of Virginia tulip trees in the Eastern garden. Protected as sensitive natural areas, the surroundings of the abbey offer multiple hiking trails to discover. Throughout the summer, exhibitions and various workshops take place as well as concerts of medieval and...

Very nice Abbey to visit. Pretty different from regular Abbeys, since this one is in runes, surrounded by grass and nature. They have cool tablets where you can have a 3D virtual visit of how the original abbey was. You can also visit the gardens and the surrounding parts like the kitchen or chapel, that are reformed. I would give 5 stars if there were more...

We went and had a look around the Abbey a few years ago. Like anything historic like this, you really need a guided tour to learn the history and a few stories. Usually, however, we just go on one of several little walks. nearby to the Abbey. It is an extremely scenic area and you do get some superbly pretty blue dragonflies in the summer, near...