Around …

SHOPPING
Beauchamps (village, 2 miles to the west) bakers, small grocery – limited stock.
La Haye Pesnel (small town, 5 miles south-west) supermarket several bakers other shops including a very good independent charcuterie.
Villedieu (bigger town, very touristy, 8 miles to the east) bigger supermarket, all normal shops.
Granville (big town, 10 miles to the west) choice of supermarkets and Lidl, etc.. Busy ‘high street’, difficult parking in summer.

BEACHES
The tidal range is 40 feet here. When the tide is out, it is difficult to see the sea from the sea wall! Best to look up the tides and schedule beach time to suit.
Granville: a rocky shore round the point. Better to head south to
St. Pair: a nice little town with quite a lot of sand, and this continues …
Joulluville: long sandy beach often with horses training on the sand. Ends at the cliffs of …
Carolles: big parking lot – though often V busy. Collection of bars, snackeries and toilets. Rock pools to explore!

MARKETS
Every town has its market day and, in summer, sometimes two. Here are the local ones:
Granville: Saturday (and Wednesday in summer)
St Pair: Thursday
Jullouville: Friday (and Tuesday in summer)
La Haye Pesnel: Wednesday
Villedieu: Tuesday and a small affair – mostly fish – on Friday

WALKING
There are many excellent walking guides available. Here are some short local circular walks, plus a longer one along the edge of the bay.

Round-the block: The short version is less than half an hour. Out of the front gate, turn sharp right up the footpath, follow to the main road, turn left and then left again at the bottom of the hill. Return to the house by the lane. If you fancy a change … do it in reverse.
For the longer version (about 45 minutes), take the footpath to the left out of the gate descending into the valley and climbing again to the road. Turn left and follow the road into the village, looking out for giraffes, antelopes, zebras and ostriches – hopefully no tigers … Turn left at the main road for a possible stop for a beer in the bar (L’Imprevu’ ), then head on down to ‘La Piloterie’, turning left past the roofing business of Nicholas Fauvel and pick up the footpath at the end of the road, back to the house.

Viaduc du Guibel/Le Tanu/Pont St Crepain: (about 2 hours) Out of the gate, footpath to the left as in the longer ’round-the-block’ left onto the road then take the second right (Village Chauvin), picking up the footpath at the end of the road and descending to the river (footbridge). Continue straight on to the railway viaduct and then turn right over the road bridge, turning right again and following the road round to the left where it peters out onto a footpath.

Further on, take the left fork (see picture) climbing the hill and twisting and turning (the going becomes a bit tricky further on because of water erosion!) until you reach a road. Turn right into Le Tanu, turning right around the church and then right again onto the main road.

Take the second left (Signed Impasse Bois Frou and descend to the Moulin du Tanu climbing out again to a road at the top of a hill. Turn right and descend to the Pont St Crepain . continuing until a turning to the right towards Les Meubles du Moulin, continuing on to the footpath leading back to la Grinière and then following the lane to the right back to the house.

Carolles Plage/St Jean le Thomas/Vallee de la Lude/Carolles Plage: (about half a day – an opportunity for a picnic, or lunch in St Jean le Thomas?).
Park at Carolles Plage and climb the (steep!) path up to the viewpoint. Follow the path along the edge of the bay, enjoying the views and pausing at the Cabane Vauban where the lookouts would watch out for the English Fleet coming round the Granville headland and signal the news to the defenders of the Mont St Michel. Continue into St Jean le Thomas.
The return journey is more complicated and you will benefit by using the map (drawer in dining room). Work your way back to La Gare (the former railway station), head north from there bearing left until you turn left onto the D221, heading west. Continue for 1 kilometre then turn right, downhill, turning left at the river and following the minor road until you reach a junction with the D61, at a cemetery. Cross the main road and continue on what I think is the track of the old railway, through the woods (Vallee des Peintres) back in to Carolles Plage.