William the Conqueror's Normandy: The legacy of England's invader

Two bare-legged men wade out to a boat, carrying their dogs. A couple of horse riders gallop at speed, the wind riffling their hair. A woman and child escape a burning building, victims of war. I look in wonder at the Bayeux Tapestry and the scenes it depicts, conveying such vivid movement, expression and drama – and, in parts, such poignant resonance with the world of today.

In the cobbled French town of Bayeux, the museum showing the magnificent needlework account of the Norman invasion of England describes it as the world’s first comic strip. Created in about 1068, the 230ft-long embroidery (it is stitched rather than woven, so technically not a tapestry) has even been rendered as a cartoon book, à la Asterix, which is sold in the gift shop. Browsing a copy, I enjoy the jokiness even if it detracts from the brutality and culture-changing consequences of the events of 1066.

In June the graphics drawn for the book will be displayed next to the Bayeux Tapestry. The exhibition will be part of a host of commemorations taking place across much of Normandy (and Sussex), marking the 950th anniversary of the Norman Conquest. And that is why I have come to Normandy, slightly ahead of the game, to explore the home turf of England’s pre-eminent invader.

William the Conqueror would have seen the Bayeux Tapestry in the town’s cathedral, where it was kept until the French Revolution. The needle artwork was commissioned by his half-brother Odo, who was bishop of Bayeux – a political appointment made when Odo was probably just 15. Only a year or so later, he accompanied the troops to England and is shown in several scenes – it is his take on events that is depicted. 

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Odo was the principal creator of Bayeux Cathedral too. He became a power-crazed ne’er-do-well, but he produced a fine building with a remarkable interior embellished with a swirl of Romanesque carvings, unusually ornate for the period, and snazzily zigzag decorated arches.

You get a feel for the intricacies of 11th-century craftsmanship if you pop down the road to Bayeux Broderie on rue Saint Loup, which sells DIY Bayeux Tapestry kits. The shop’s owner, Chantal James, is uniquely licensed to reproduce the town’s great treasure in this way. 

She shows me the stitching technique – basically outlines and closely worked infills – and the wool that she has specially dyed. Then I amble along nearby streets dotted with wonky old half-timbered houses. 

Bayeux is one of the few places in Normandy that remained relatively unscathed by the Second World War. I’m told that this is mainly because it became a centre for refugee civilians, and so the Allies tried to avoid bombing it.

It’s impossible to visit Normandy without emotionally colliding with reminders of the Second World War. The road out of town passes Bayeux War Cemetery and I pause by a big memorial to British troops; its Latin inscription translates as: “We who were conquered by William have liberated his homeland.”

I head over gently rolling countryside to Caen, half an hour’s drive east, which is where William built his first major castle, a precursor to the many he constructed in England. Knowing that the city was largely destroyed in the war, I have never thought to stop here before. But what a triumph of reconstruction: this is once again a beautiful place of honey-stone streets and splendidly ancient (if much repaired) churches. And its castle once again stands proud. Ironically, the Allied bombing of 1944 razed the encroaching buildings that had grown up to obscure the walls and fortifications and revealed them once again, an anomalous silver lining to a dark cloud. 

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Much developed during the 12th century, the castle is a tremendous hilltop structure complete with a dry moat. In summer today, the grass is kept down by grazing sheep. Huge stone ramparts encompass a wide open space punctuated by former military buildings; it is now a park area with museums. 

I make for the Church of St George, home to a hi-tech visitor centre with interactive displays explaining how the castle evolved. It was one of the most important emblems of the town’s revival after the devastation of 1944. Then I take in panoramic views, looking south-west to the towers of Abbaye-aux-Hommes where William is buried, and north to Caen’s expansive university, complete with a large phoenix statue. 

The university has strong links with Scandinavia, as does the town, which holds a Nordic festival, Les Boréales, every November in recognition of Normandy’s origins. The Normans were, literally, Norse men, who terrorised France in the 9th century until the Frankish king agreed to give them their own territory. 

Viking traditions continued in the young William’s day. His parents were said to have been married according to Danish law, which allowed a man several wives. Of course the Church didn’t recognise such practices, hence he was known as William the Bastard.

His mother, Arlette, was thought to have been the daughter of a tanner and is known to have come from Falaise, which was an important town at the time. The story goes that the young Duke Robert of Normandy saw her when looking down from a tower of Falaise castle and demanded she be brought to him. 

Rather than accepting the lot of a courtesan, she refused to enter the castle until she was accorded honourable status. In due course William the Bastard was born there. The castle still stands, so off I set, on a 35-minute drive south.

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William’s castle was greatly expanded by his son Henry I and it is the remains of this structure that you see today, together with recent restoration work. There is a mighty keep and an imposing round tower to explore, and you do so with the aid of digital technology. You are handed a tablet with your entry ticket and in each room the screen produces a 3D display of what it might have looked like furnished. The actual buildings haven’t been tampered with, so it’s a surreal experience to see bare walls in front of you and, on a hand-held device, find the space hung with tapestries and filled with coffers, tables and more.

Head reeling from this hi-tech wizardry, I stroll along Place Guillaume le Conquérant just outside the walls and pass a new museum dedicated to victims of war, highlighting the plight of 150,000 Norman refugees in the Second World War and the 20,000 civilians who died. My mind, though, flashes back to the woman and child in the Bayeux Tapestry, fleeing as Norman soldiers set fire to their home.

William I, King of England: his life and times 

Born Falaise Castle (chateau-guillaume-leconquerant.fr; daily 10am-6pm; €8/£6) around 1027. Here William became Duke of Normandy, aged eight. 

Married Matilda of Flanders in about 1050. The Pope disapproved: William and Matilda were (distant) cousins. But he sanctioned the union when they agreed to construct several church buildings. The most famous are in Caen: Matilda’s Abbaye-aux-Dames (daily 2-5pm; free) and William’s Abbaye-aux-Hommes (daylight hours; free) where he is buried. 

Founded Caen Castle in about 1060 (musee-de-normandie.caen.fr; ramparts and grounds freely open all the time; visitor centre in St George’s Church, free admission). Other strongholds included the palace at Fecamp, established by his Viking ancestors in the early 900s (palace and abbey open during daylight hours; free).

Defeated Harold at Hastings on October 14 1066 and was crowned King of England on Christmas Day.

Returned to Normandy in 1067 and attended the consecration of Jumièges Abbey (abbayedejumieges.fr; daily 9.30am-6.30pm; €6.50), a wonderfully romantic ruin today. 

Portrayed as tall and dynamic in the Bayeux Tapestry, exhibited in Bayeux’s old seminary (bayeuxmuseum.com; daily 9.30am-6.30pm; €9). In William’s day it was displayed in Bayeux Cathedral (bayeux-bessin-tourisme.com; 8.30am-7pm; free).

Died September 9, 1087, in Rouen.

Essentials

Getting there 

Harriet O’Brien travelled as the guest of Normandy Tourism (normandy-tourism.org) and Brittany Ferries (brittany-ferries.co.uk) - see panel further below for more details. 

Where to stay

Le Clos Saint-Martin, 18 Place Saint-Martin, Caen (telegraph.co.uk/clossaintmartin; doubles from €90/£69 including breakfast). Elegant 18th-century town house with four guest rooms.

Les Pommiers, Sainte Marguerite de Viette (petitsmatinsbleus.com; doubles from €200 for two nights excluding breakfast). Charmingly idiosyncratic collection of self-catering studios in lovely gardens near Falaise.

Le Manoir de Rétival, 2 Rue Saint Clair, Caudebec en Caux (telegraph.co.uk/retival; doubles from €180, breakfast €15). Flamboyant manor-house hotel with a Michelin-star restaurant and a choice of four suites. 

Clos des Fontaines, 191 Rue des Fontaines, Jumièges (telegraph.co.uk/closdesfontaines; doubles from €90 including breakfast). Elegant guesthouse with rooms in modern half-timbered properties set in an old orchard on the edge of picturesque Jumièges. There’s a swimming pool and a sunny breakfast room. For gourmet meals, head up the road to L’Auberge des Ruines (auberge-des-ruines.fr).

Villa Lara, Bayeux (telegraph.co.uk/villalara; doubles from €174 room only). Very smart and modern, with huge comfortable beds and plush draperies, Villa Lara has swiftly established itself as the place to stay in Bayeux.

Getting to Normandy

Brittany Ferries (0871 244 1400; brittanyferries.com) is the biggest operator and has four routes. Fares given below are the lowest standard returns for a car plus two passengers; they will be higher for peak- time crossings. Portsmouth-Le Havre is usually the cheapest option. Fastest crossing time: 5hr 30min, two crossings a day, from about £168.Portsmouth-Caen is the most convenient arrival point. Fastest crossing time: 5hr 45min, three crossings a day, from about £210. Portsmouth-Cherbourg is the route with the fastest connection to Normandy, a 3hr high-speed service which operates up to twice a day, from about £238. Poole-Cherbourg is another option, offering a daily 4hr 15min service with fares from about £224.

Further information

Our expert guide is online at telegraph.co.uk/normandy

For details about Norman sites and celebrations for the 1066 anniversary, see william-the-conqueror.co.uk. For information about events in England, see visit1066country.com