Autumn 2022

Le Treport
Dieppe
boasts exquisite parquet floors, a priceless art
collection, and extensive gardens. Nor was
Victoria the only English monarch to make
her mark on Eu. William of Normandy married
Matilda of Flanders here in the Cathedral
of Notre Dame, some 15 years before they
became King and Queen of England in 1066.
Back on the coast road, I stop in the bustling
fishing port of Dieppe with its deep water
harbour protected by those signature white
cliffs. France’s first ever seaside resort, Dieppe
became popular with Parisians from 1822,
attracting the attention of Impressionists
such as Camille Pissaro who painted the inner
harbour in 1902. Look out for reproductions of
Impressionist paintings all along the Alabaster
Coast in the exact places where the artists
placed their easels.
Today Dieppe is classified as a French Art
and History Town so I stop to learn about
its seafaring and trading traditions, as well
as its Impressionist connections at the
museum in the hilltop castle. Just west of
Dieppe is Varengeville-sur-Mer and the
12th century church of St Valery, renowned
Chateau of Eu, rear garden
for its coastal views and sailors’ cemetery.
Master Impressionist Claude Monet painted
the exterior of St Valery from many angles, but
look inside too. The Tree of Jesse stained glass
window is the work of Georges Braque who
died in 1963 and is buried in the churchyard.
Beyond Veules-les-Roses, bustling with visitors
on market day, I find another Valery, the
pretty port of St-Valery-en-Caux with its
small harbour nestled between high chalk
cliffs. Then it’s on to the fishing port of
Fécamp. Hardy fishermen in centuries past
set off from Fécamp and Dieppe to fish for
cod off Newfoundland. Discover their story at
the excellent Fisheries Museum, housed in a
converted fish-smoking and packing building
beside the harbour.
There are circular views from the seventh floor
roof terrace, including a tantalising glimpse
of the extraordinary Benedictine Palace in
the heart of the old town. Benedictine liqueur
was reputedly created in the 16th century by a
Benedictine monk named Dom Bernado Vincelli,
using a secret mix of 27 plants and spices.
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