Le Perche: Antiques and Brocantes

The Perche is another beautiful area, characterised by manor houses, woodlands and green valleys. The towns of Mortagne, Longny and Remalard are small but this is a region to appreciate for its countryside, manor houses, antique shops and brocantes. This day's outing by car will help you discover the Perche countryside and a number of "brocantes" or antique/bric-a-brac shops. There are also several gardens of note in the Perche if that appeals more.

Le Perche Antique Trail - Mamers, la Perriere, Bellême, Mortagne

Here's just a selection of antique shops and brocantes that you might visit. Most are open Saturdays and Sundays (but beware, some are closed the rest of the time) and a tour of the Perche antique shops and brocantes is ideal if the weather is inclement!

Ici d'Ailleurs 11 rue Sainte-Croix 61400 Mortagne-au-Perche 02 33 83 70 77	Stéphanie Mayeux 50 rue des Déportées 61400 Mortagne-au-Perche 06 82 39 79 33
Le Grand Cerf 29 rue Sainte-Croix 61400 Mortagne-au-Perche 06 08 56 71 81	Village de Brocante du Val d'Huisne Route du Mans 28400 Nogent-le-Rotrou 06 86 93 10 15
MMXI 12 rue Boucicaut 61130 Bellême 06 81 25 61 78	Cyrille Fassier 20 Place de l'Hotel de Ville 61290 Longny-au-Perche 02 33 73 56 21 - 06 76 90 61 48
Les Broc'Hanteuses 22 rue Boucicaut 61130 Bellême 02 33 83 03 22	Manoir de Lormarin 61340 Nocé www.manoirdelormarin.fr 02 33 25 41 89
La Maison Fassier 21 rue Ville Close 61130 Bellême www.lamaisonfassier.fr 06 07 34 36 72	La Brocante du Breuil Le Breuil, route de Bonsmoulins 61380 Moulins-la-Marche www.lebreuil.pro 06 50 77 25 62
La Maison d'Horbé La Grande Place 61360 La Perriere 02 33 25 95 44	L'Indiscret 8, rue Basse 28330 Authon du Perche 06 11 21 25 13
Ferme de La Touche 40, rue de la Touche 28400 Nogent-le-Rotrou 02 37 52 23 05	Chauvin Egaze Ghislaine 4 rue de Chartres 61290 Longny-au-perche 02 33 73 61 77

Towns on the Perche route

Mamersin the west of the Perche is worth a visit - the tourist office located behind the well-preserved covered market can furnish an audio-guide. Nearby La Perrière is a pretty village in an unusual position on a crag - it has a bar and a cute bric-a-brac shop-cum-restaurant. La Perrièrecan get rather busy in July-August, being very picturesque, but it is well worth visiting. Bellêmeis one of the most interesting towns of the Perche and is worth exploring in its own right - about 30 minutes from our bed and breakfast. Mortagne-au-Perche, Remalard and Longny-au-Perche are small but attractive market towns in the centre of the Perche - all have bars and restaurants. Slightly further afield Nogent-le-Rotrou is worth a detour to visit its brilliant white limestone castle.

Leave Ancinnes in the direction of Neufchatel en Saosnois and then turn right on the D311 to Mamers.

Mamers

Mamers is a busy market town with a well preserved Halle (covered market hall) in the market square, and is also the capital of "rillettes sarthoises", the famous speciality of the Sarthe department, a sort of fresh potted pork (delicious on toast). The Mamers tourist office is located behind the Halles and can provide an audio-guide to the town.

Market day in Mamers is Monday, a good day to visit as it is quite an extensive market - NB shops are shut on Tuesday. The streets around the market place and down to the Eglise Notre Dame are pretty and worth exploring.

Leave Mamers on the D300/D931 to Mortagne au Perche - the road branches off the north ring road near the "plan d'eau' and municipal campsite. After 5 - 6 km turn right in the direction of la Perrière.

La Perrière

This picturesque village is well worth visiting, set on a rocky outcrop over a valley. You can pause for a snack or a drink at the Relais d'Horbe, a brocante shop-cum-bar, on the main square. There is another antique and souvenir shop next door. Go up to the church at the entrance to the village and admire the amazing pan from the rocky outcrop behind it, then walk round the cemetery for more great views. The village is home to several artists and hosts an annual art festival; there is a small sculptor's gallery on the road out of la Perrière.

Leave La Perrière through the forest on the road marked 'Circuit pan' and follow signs to le Gue de la Chaine and Bellême.

Bellême

Bellême has an upper and a lower town - the upper is the old sector, the lower town is newer but worth visiting. At Bellême you will find not only antique shops but also the chocolaterie 'Bataille' - a must for chocaholics (if you like this you must also visit the chocolatiers of Alençon).

Leave Bellême taking the D7 south towards La Ferté Bernard. At St Germain de la Coudre turn left on the D107 towards le Theil and left again on the D211 to l'Hermitière. There is an excellent cider farm here where you can see how cider, calvados and pommeau are made, plus a good selection of local produce to buy.

Ecomusée du Perche

Take the D636 and the D277 to Ste Gauberge, near St Cyr la Rosière, where you can visit the Ecomusée du Perche and Priory.

After your visit, leave in the direction of Nocé. Just before Nocé on the side road to Dancé there is a brocante based in the splendid Lormarin Manor.

Manoir de Courboyer

Continue through Nocé on the D9 in the direction of Colonard and you will soon find the Manoir de Courboyer on your right - a spectacular Perche Manor House, open to the public, which houses the "Maison du parc du Perche". There is also a cafeteria-restaurant and a good (if expensive) gift shop here; Percheron draught horses are usually to be seen grazing in the adjoining fields.

Leaving the Manor continue on the D9 to Colonard and turn right towards Rémalard on the D920. After 2km turn left on the tiny D111 to Boissy Maugis. Take the D111 down an avenue of tall trees in the direction of Maison Maugis. Through the trees to your right is a superb fortified farm typical of this region; then shortly you will see one of the most lovely manors of the Perche, "Manoir de la Moussetière" at Maison Maugis (not open to public). Bear right, then at the crossroads turn left in the direction of Monceaux au Perche on the D111.

Longny-au-Perche

Continue to Longny-au-Perche where you can visit two more antique dealers; especially that of Ghislaine Chauvin in a lovely watermill at the end of rue du Vieux Moulin, which is the street off the main square with the church on your right. On the other side of the square, next to the Mairie, is s street of very pretty medieval houses.

Mortagne-au-Perche

From Longny take the pretty road in the direction of Mortagne-au-Perche, capital of 'boudin noir' (black pudding), where you will find more antique shops in the centre of this little market town. Architecturally the old fort and Hotel Tribunal are worth closer examination - the tourist office has a leaflet describing a short walk around the town.

To return from Mortagne-au-Perche to the Bed & Breakfast either take the N12 towards Alençon - before Alençon you can cut through the forest to Ancinnes via Fresnaye-sur-Chedouet where there is a fascinating museume dedicated to the Tour de France - or for a more relaxed and picturesque route take the D9331 to Mamers and return along the D311 to Neufchatel-en-Saosnois (signposted Alençon) and at Neufchatel turn left to Ancinnes.

If time allows (30 minutes), there is a quirky little free museum in Neufchatel near the church (get a key from any of the local shops or the bar) with an extraordinary collection of clogs, clog-making tools and traditional forestry tools, the main industry of the town in years past.

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