Le Tilleul: Holiday Apartments and Homes

At the end of the Valleuse d’Antifer lies Plage du Tilleul, also known as Plage d’Antifer. Limestone cliffs enclose the beach; the landscape is described as wild and unspoilt.

Nature and Coast

The Valleuse d’Antifer covers more than 150 hectares and includes meadows, heathland and ponds with remarkable biological and scenic diversity. It is designated as an espace naturel sensible (ENS) and belongs to the Conservatoire du littoral.

A 2 km-long footpath provides access to the sea from the Valleuse d’Antifer. Access to Plage du Tilleul, also known as Plage d’Antifer, is via one of two car parks and then on foot along a paved path of approximately 1.5 km. Due to the possibility of rockfalls occurring at any time, visitors should not remain at the foot of the cliffs there. From the beach, the GR21 can be followed towards Étretat; to do so, climb up the rocky cliff.

Those who choose Le Tilleul as their holiday destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment.

Trails and Activities

The La Valleuse d’Antifer circular trail begins and ends in Le Tilleul and passes through Étretat and La Poterie-Cap-d’Antifer. It is classified as a moderately difficult route covering 12.4 km, with a duration of 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The Domaine équestre d’Étretat offers horse-riding activities for all levels and age groups; rides to discover the cliffs and the Valleuse d’Antifer start from there.

Culture and History

The Château de Fréfossé was built in 1771 by Compoinct du Boulhard and remodelled and extended between 1850 and 1870. The Tour Lanterne of the Château de Fréfossé was built in 1830 and served as a tea room.

The architecture of the Église Saint-Martin preserves traces of the transition to the Renaissance. A very old stained-glass window in the church depicts Charles de Pelletot, knight and lord of Fréfossé, together with his wife Marie de Clercy. The Église Saint-Martin also houses a late-19th-century harmonium made by Dumont & Lelièvre of Les Andelys; the upper part of the case is made of Cuban mahogany.

The Clos-masure de la Sauvagère comprises a typical farmhouse of the Pays de Caux and is one of the oldest in the municipality of Le Tilleul. The riding arena rebuilt in Parc Mathilde was dismantled from the Fréfossé farm and bears witness to Le Tilleul’s agricultural past.

Ship graffiti on some of Le Tilleul’s oldest buildings recall that the local lords were entrusted with the Guet de la Manche, the coastal watch along the English Channel. The Banc de la justice is a rare and valuable testimony to the feudal era and was for centuries a symbol of the authority of the Chevaliers de Fréfossé, the lords of Le Tilleul.

More destination pages: Nolléval, La Feuillie, Bézancourt, La Chapelle-Sur-Dun, Le Mesnil-Esnard, Bonsecours, Wanchy-Capval, Bardouville

For the overview of the wider travel region: Seine-Maritime.