Fourteen kilometres east of La Ferrière across the wild and open woodland of the Forêt de Conches, standing above the River Rouloir on an abrupt and narrow spur, is CONCHES-EN-OUCHE, many a Norman's favourite heartland town. At the highest point, in the middle of a row of medieval houses, is the church of Ste-Foy, its windows a stunning sequence of Renaissance stained glass. Behind are the gardens of the Hôtel de Ville, where a robust, if anatomically odd, stone boar gazes proudly out over a spectacular view. Next to that, you can scramble up the slippery steps of the ruined twelfth-century castle. Conches is given a certain edge over other towns with equal lists of historic relics by the pieces of modern sculpture that seem to lie around every other corner.The town's tourist office, close to the castle, 200m south of the church in place Aristide-Briand (Tues–Sat 10am–12.30pm & 2–6pm, Sun 10am–noon; tel 02.32.30.76.42, www.conches-en-ouche.fr), rents out mountain bikes. The best accommodation option is Le Cygne, a logis de France at 2 rue Paul Guilbaud at the north end of town (tel 02.32.30.20.60, fax 02.32.30.45; €40–55; closed Sun evening & Mon); alternatives include the half-timbered Donjon, bulging out of the main street on the castle side, not far from the church (tel 02.32.30.04.75; under €30; closed Tues evening & Wed). There's also a two-star municipal campsite, La Forêt (tel 02.32.30.22.49; closed Oct–March), while on Thursday the whole town is taken up by a market.
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