The main attraction of Normandy is that it's a short hop over the Channel ? theoretically even commutable if you work in Kent ? and yet is like entering another world from the crowded, over-priced south-east corner of England. Close to Canterbury, ?600,000 would buy you a nice four-bedroom detached house with a decent-sized garden and some period features. Cross the Channel there is a wealth of Normandy property, from Sourdeval in the department of Manche, the same money will secure a spectacular 18th century chateau in 11 hectares of gardens and forest, with seven bedrooms, stables, coach house and a variety of other buildings.



With its patchwork of fields, little farms and pretty villages, Normandy really is reminiscent of how the English countryside used to be. Little wonder that this is a region to which many Brits have relocated permanently with their families, rather than simply looking for a holiday home. It's not an exciting region, and the climate is pretty similar to southern England, but it's ideal for those seeking better value for money and a gentler way of life without straying too far from home.

Normandy is actually defined as two regions in the French classification: Haute Normandie comprising the departments of Seine Maritime (76) and Eure (27); and Basse Normandie comprising Calvados (14), Manche (50) and Orne (61).

Normandy's terrain doesn't vary dramatically; Upper Normandy is generally flatter, while in Lower Normandy to the south there is a special name for the predominant landscape, which is bocage. It consists of small fields divided by tall banked hedgerows that made life very difficult for tanks to pass following the Normandy D Day landings. Much is divided into smallholdings around picturesque half-timbered houses, where the living comes from orchards and dairy cattle. The most scenically interesting part of the region is ?Swiss Normandy?, an area south of Caen along the gorge of the river Orne where there are steeper hills and cliffs. There are some fantastic Normandy properties, to see here.

In terms of towns and cities, Normandy is best known for its ports: Dieppe, Le Havre, Caen and Cherbourg, each interesting in its way, but none likely to be top of the list for property buyers. The same can be said for the main inland city, Rouen. More of a draw are the chic and pretty seaside resorts of the ?Norman Riviera? which include Deauville, Trouville and Honfleur. To the south, the walled seaside town of Granville, Avranches overlooking Mont St Michel, and Villadieu les Poeles with its famous tradition of bell-making, each have their fans. For most ?migr's from the UK, though, Normandy is about enjoying a rural backwater idyll, and the regional fare which includes cider, calvados and camembert.

The classic Normandy half-timbered house is a hugely attractive style known as colombage and it is remarkable just how many survive, both restored and unrestored. A longere is a particularly characteristic farmhouse, in colombage or stone, long and low-lying. Often you'll find a large beamed living area at the heart of the house, with a giant open fireplace; this type of property would be exceptional in most parts of England, but in Normandy they are two a penny and still a wonderful bargain. Prices start at around ?100,000, and for ?300,000 you might expect a good piece of land as well as some outbuildings.