Bellême is a little town in the Perche region of Normandy, with a population of 1,700. To see a map of the region featuring Bellême click here.

Bellême, in the heart of Normandy, rises above a vast landscape of hills and valleys, a cross road for the French and Anglo-Norman civilisations,

Normandy is noted for its, beaches, fishing ports, lush green pastures, apple orchards, cider and Calvados. Normandy is divided into five Departments, one of which is Orne, where Bellême is situated.

It is easy to reach Bellême in just a few hours driving, making use of one of several ferries or the Channel Tunnel. Bellême is about 90 miles from the Channel at Ouistram and is just over 100 miles west of Paris.

The  number of inhabitants, when outlying areas have been taken into account, is roughly similar to that of Goring, but its village centre and shopping area are somewhat bigger than ours. It is mainly a rural area but has some industry as well.

Its history goes back to the 10th Century. Some interesting buildings in Bellême date from the 15th Century and there is an old chapel and crypt built before the year 1000.

There are many interesting and picturesque places to visit in the vicinity, including a forest, a lake, a Roman fountain, museums of lace and woodwork and many churches, manors and chateaux. The area is well known for art,  pottery, weaving painting and sculpture

There are junior and senior schools, which have had numerous exchanges with our schools at Goring, South Stoke and Langtree.

Sports and recreational facilities include a superb golf course, swimming pool, wonderful walks, tennis, horse riding, minature golf, motor cycle scrambling and fishing.