In the Regional Natural Park of Perche, in the French department of Orne (Lower Normandy), you’ll find several beautiful places worth visiting. During my stay in this part of Normandy, I explored the charming towns of Mortagne-au-Perche, Bellême and La Perrière. It’s easy to visit all three in one day since the distances between them range from just 10 to 20 kilometres. La Perrière is the smallest of the three but by no means the least impressive. In this article I’ll take you to this gem in Le Perche, a village proudly carrying the Petite Cité de Caractère label.
A bit of history in La Perrière
Excavations at the end of the 19th century revealed that the hill where La Perrière now stands was already inhabited by Celtic tribes in the time of the Gauls. However the written history begins in the 11th century when Yves the First of Bellême built a fortified castle on the hill. The castle was destroyed by the English during the Hundred Years’ War and was never rebuilt.
Crafts practiced in La Perrière
With the Bellême forest close by La Perrière has long been home to traditional wood-based crafts. Over the centuries woodwork and timber processing have been an important part of life here including trades such as carpentry clog making and logging.
La Perrière was also known for the stone extracted from its local quarries. The village sits on a limestone promontory covered with sand and contains roussard stone and iron-rich sandstone. Locally this stone is known as grison. It proved to be of great value to the regional construction industry. During the Middle Ages grison was widely used in the building of houses as well as for decorative features often combined with limestone.
La Perrière and the production of Alençon lace
Between 1850 and 1950 La Perrière played an important role in the production of Alençon lace or Point d’Alençon. This type of lace is named after the nearby town of Alençon which became famous for its refined lace making. Alençon lace is a very delicate and high-quality type of lace known for its fineness and often complex designs. It is handmade by skilled lace makers requiring extreme precision and patience. The lace produced in La Perrière between 1850 and 1950 was of the highest quality contributing to the village’s reputation as a centre for artisanal craftsmanship.
Look closely around you when walking through La Perrière and be sure to check the windows of houses. Many households in this region use Alençon lace as window decoration or have curtains adorned with Alençon lace.
What to see in La Perrière
La Perrière is a lovely small village with a town hall a local bakery a pub a small restaurant and a hotel. It has a really laid-back atmosphere and is very peaceful making it perfect for a leisurely walk. You can park your car in the parking lot in the centre of the village. Opposite the parking lot you’ll find the Office de tourisme de La Perrière where you can get information. The local bakery is located on the other side of the parking lot. Grab a tasty sandwich there and take a seat on a bench at the edge of La Perrière overlooking the valley.
It’s nice to take a walk along Rue de la Grange at the back. Take the first street on your left which leads you to Rue la Salé. From one of the alleys you’ll reach VC Grande Rue the street that eventually brings you to the church. On both sides you’ll find beautiful views and narrow alleys. VC Grande Rue turns into Rue de l’Église and after the bend you’ll arrive at Église Notre-Dame du Rosaire. Be sure to take a look inside this church built in the 12th century on the foundation of the old castle chapel.
Around the cemetery you’ll find some lovely spots to spend time with views of the surroundings. It becomes clear that this location was once chosen strategically when you stand here. The view is beautiful in all directions. From here you can walk back to the parking lot via Rue Notre Dame. I definitely recommend having a drink on the terrace of Café La Perrière or at the wine bar next door.
