Normandy: key moments in Britain’s history – 2022

We will cross the channel early via Eurotunnel in order to give time to stop and visit a number of key locations on our way to the hotel in Caen.

Our first coffee stop will be at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. This was the launching point of William the Conqueror’s forces. Interestingly, William originally launched the ships from Dives-sur-Mer, but an unfavourable wind blew them along the coast to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, suffering some losses along the way. An early lesson in how the weather can wreck an invasion and how lucky William was to be able to start again.

We then travel to Dieppe for a quick stop and a discussion of how the failure of the Dieppe Raid, along with memories of Gallipoli, informed D-Day.

Finally, we reach our hotel, the Royal Hotel Caen Centre, where we will enjoy bed and breakfast accommodation. This hotel is superbly located in the centre of Caen and is housed within a building we’d all recognise as classic, elegant French architecture.

Although the hotel runs a buffet breakfast, there is no actual restaurant; but there are numerous restaurants within a few hundred yards of the door so you will have lots of choice according to your tastes.

We leave our hotel and head for the beaches at Arromanches where Piers will pick up the D-Day story once more both on the beaches and in the museum there.

In the afternoon, we return to the Norman legacy and visit Bayeux, including the famous tapestry.

Our story continues with the American involvement as we visit Utah beach at Sainte-Mère-Eglise, where American airborne forces landed; and Omaha Beach at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, where the American landing force endured such difficulties. Finally, we visit the imposing Pointe du Hoc, where American Rangers had to climb steep, high cliffs to assault German positions and large guns, which could shell the allied landing force.

Today, we’ll spend the morning visiting the General Montgomery statue, the German bunkers at Hillman Fortress, Sword Beach and, if time permits, the Commonwealth War Graves at Douvres-la-Délivrande.

In the afternoon, we break away from WWII to return to an earlier period in history with a visit to Mont-Saint-Michel. Largely constructed during Norman times, this community is set in a bay and is cut off by the daily tides that ebb and flow into the bay and are strikingly spectacular in appearance.

Today should be entitled ‘airborne day’ as almost everything today relates to the locations where these remarkable men arrived on that memorable day. We plan to lunch at Café Gondrée, next to Pegasus Bridge, which is likely to have been the first French building liberated that day.

Our final act of the battlefield tour will be a visit to the nearby CWG Ranville Cemetery for an act of remembrance.

Piers and we at Pennywood Tours are keen that the sacrifices of these men are remembered, but in a positive and uplifting way, celebrating the freedoms returned to the world. To that end, the whole tour will be uplifting and positive whilst allowing some time for personal reflection as individuals need.

Our final day in France, but rather than rushing to Calais we’ll visit the lovely village of Le Bec-Hellouin for a coffee stop, and lunch in Rouen, where we will have time to visit the cathedral, resting place of ‘Richard the Lionheart’, and perhaps seek out the Joan of Arc Memorial. Old Rouen is a beautiful town and well worth a stroll around.

Finally, we’ll arrive at the Eurotunnel terminal in the evening. Arrival at our point of origin is estimated to be between 8pm and 9pm.