Leaving Étretat and its amazing cliffs behind us and after a rather unsuccessful visit of Le Manoir du Catel, I was ready for Jumièges Abbey. It lay directly, or almost directly, on the way to Rouen, our stop for the next two days.
entrance to Jumièges Abbey @Normandy
This impressive ruin goes back all the way to the 7th century. Founded in 654 AD it’s more than a little mind boggling that there’s something left of it. Of course I am not even sure, which part goes back to that time. But there must be something left from the 7th century, at least in the foundations. Sometime in the 9th century the abbey was burned down and pillaged by the Vikings, but rebuilt over the next 200 years or so. Because at the consecration in 1067 William the Conqueror showed up at Jumièges, so we were coming full circle with our history obsession.
first impression @Jumièges Abbey
The yew tree below by the way, in the middle of the monastery grounds, is over 500 years old. Just imagine what it must have survived!
not much left of the abbey itself @Jumièges Abbey
During the French revolution the Benedictine monks were chased off and the abbey became basically a construction material warehouse. People picked up and carted off what they needed.
still impressive what’s left of this church @Jumièges Abbey
faint traces of a mural within the church @Jumièges Abbey
decorative bird @Jumièges Abbey
Despite its ruinous state Jumièges Abbey has a magic appeal. The 46 meter high twin towers of the church stand strong to this day.
different looking twin towers @Jumièges Abbey
the long nave @Jumièges Abbey
There is something really romantic about these ruins, albeit the thought of monks living here destroys this image again. Strolling around the grounds of Jumièges Abbey really made an impression on me, this is still such a magnificent structure.
a lot of romantic flair here @Jumièges Abbey
Upon leaving Jumièges we wanted to get a snack at the nearby café, but the hours in the villages are strict. The kitchen was closed and there was nothing to be had until dinner. So we left and while looking for a bakery or so to pick something up, we noticed another abbey along the way to Rouen.
The Abbey Saint-Georges de Boscherville is even older than Jumièges or at least its history goes back to the 1st century BC. At that time a wooden temple stood at this site, which was later replaced by a stone structure. At first it was still used as a temple, then as a funeral chapel when Christianity arrived.
church of Abbey Saint-Georges de Boscherville @Normandy
We decided against visiting the gardens, but headed inside the church. It had a very clean look and appeared freshly renovated.
inside the church @ Abbey Saint-Georges de Boscherville
I was not in the mood for a garden that day and also had enough of monasteries. It did look amazing though from the bit that we saw. Pretty sure this would have been worth our while.
Abbey Saint-Georges de Boscherville @Normandy
Best of all though was the little café across the church, where we got something to drink and then at 3:30pm on the dot we could go to the bakery and get something to eat. France is weird in that way. Yours, Pollybert
