The Location
The Old Priest House is set in Raye-sur-Authie in the beautiful Sept Vallées, near the old Flemish town of Hésdin: two hours from England, but fifty years away in time.
Directions
We have set up some directions using Google Maps, click here.
Country walks and cycle rides
The surrounding countryside is both attractive and great for walking and cycling along paths and quiet lanes in the peaceful valleys in the Artois hills. Tourist offices have maps and leaflets of marked routes, specially selected for being safe, interesting and with indications of manageability - depending on your fitness and how far you want to go.
The local town of Hésdin
You're standing in the spacious town square in Hésdin, looking up at the Town Hall. The coat-of-arms on the front of the ornate balcony is that of Spain. The town was forceably moved in 1554 to its present site down in the Canche valley by order of the Spanish Emperor Charles V ("Charles Quint").
The old Hésdin on a highly defensible site in the hills had been a dangerous French stronghold in the border wars between France and Spanish Flanders. The ruins of the old town's castle can still be seen - but most of it, including a famous 14th century pleasure park, was completely razed to the ground.
The cathedral town of Thérouanne suffered a similar fate.
At Azincourt you can tour the battlefield where in 1415 Henry V's English army massacred a French army 5 times as numerous. They hailed arrows from massed ranks of longbow archers on the French cavalry, who slithered around in the mud and rain, unable to escape because of their clumsy armour and the surrounding forests. A new Medieval History Centre in the village tells the story of the battle - and is a good preparation for walking round the site.
The Moulin de Maintenay on the river Authie is at least in part claimed to date from the 12th century. It has been restored and is open to the public.
See www.theotherside.co.uk for more about the local area.