Parc de la Vallée du Telhuet

In the heart of the town of Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine, not far from Le Havre and the river Seine, this park is a green setting covering 49 acres highlighting the plants and wildlife of the valley as well as the rural and architectural heritage of the area. Through several themed areas: an orchard planted with 300 varieties of apple trees, a water garden, Scottish Highland cattle pastures, lakes and woods, visitors will be able to observe the natural environment thanks to 17 information panels scattered throughout the park. Digital resources are also accessible with a smartphone.

Our grandchildren are on holiday with us and we decided to treat them to a walk in the park of the Telhuet Valley. We are regulars here, we have been coming here since they were very young. It is the ideal place for a nice walk, especially as there are shaded areas to wander around. The park is quite big, but there is trail that we particularly like to do. The weather was very nice on that day and we put sunscreen on the children who were getting impatient "let's go Grandma!” The children walked ahead, proud to know the way. We walked along a big orchard until we reached a small group of rural buildings. Under an arch, a strange tool caught the eye of my youngest grandson who looked at me asked me what it was. “Ask your sister, I am sure she'll know" I answered pointing at his older sister. Proud of herself she told him it was a grindstone and it was used to make flour back in the old days. “It must have taken a long time to bake a cake then” he concluded before turning around and running off.

After that, we headed towards a small wooden bridge that spans a little stream lined with pollarded willows. We walked along the stream in the shade of the trees. When we came across an educational panel, my granddaughter read it. The panels are divided into two parts, which explain in a simple way one feature of the landscape, or the fauna or flora. What a beautiful walk full of things to learn! Our path led us to a pretty church opposite a small garden filled with mixed-borders. We walked to the water garden, the atmosphere was damper. We reached a small lake and we sat on a bench under a wooden arch. It is the ideal place for a break and an afternoon snack!

And what would be an afternoon at the park without a stop at the playground? The children ran to the playground and we watched them having fun while we chatted in the shade of the trees.