Welcome to the Chepstow – Cormeilles Twinning Association
Chepstow’s link with Cormeilles dates right back to the Norman Conquest, when the town of Chepstow was established in 1067 by William fitzOsbern, the right-hand man of William the Conqueror. The priory church of St Mary was founded in Chepstow as a dependent house of William fitzOsbern’s abbey of Cormeilles, where he was buried. The connection between Chepstow and Cormeilles started over 950 years ago, and the Chepstow-Cormeilles Twinning Association keeps it going strong today.
Cormeilles is a small, pretty, rural town in Normandy and easily accessible from the ports of Caen or Le Havre. The area is noted for its cheese, dairy industry, cider, and Calvados – which is distilled in the town itself. The seaside resorts of Honfleur and Deauville are half an hour away.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The present twinning arrangement dates back to 1972 when Abbé Meron from Cormeilles visited Chepstow and met Canon Barrie Evans. As a result, Canon Evans took a coach party to Cormeilles. On 5th July 1975 the Chepstow town council invited Cormeilles to become officially twinned with Chepstow. The twinning oath was signed in Cormeilles in 1976 by the Mayor of Chepstow. Regular visits by families and schoolchildren began. The family exchanges continue to take place annually over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
These photographs of Cormeilles look great! I’m very much looking forward to my first visit at the end of August!
2 things…
Firstly : What date in March is the Duck Race? Myself and my daughter try to support this lovely event every year.
Secondly: If you require ideas or help with fundraising I may be able to help as I help organise events ie Xmas Shopping evenings I am part of a company called Simply Christmas and attend lots of fundraising events throughout the year. My contact number is 07794 122298 and you can look on the the web site for Simply Christmas and we do other non Christmas items all year .
Hello
My name is Ben Baillie (Welshman) but i live in Pont Audemer Normandy not far from Cormielles and i saw an article in the local paper about your visit; i have written a series of small books about the Normans and one about them in Wales INTO THE DRAGONS LAIR see the link attached http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/279-6302534-1957504?url=search-alias%3Daps&field- If anyone is interested please contact me for more details mekeywords=benjamin+james+baillie+#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=benjamin+james+baillie&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Abenjamin+james+baillie
Regarding the comment about the model of St Marys Church ,Chepstow, My father Harold Beddow , made two models of the church ,one of which stayed in Chepstow church but was never looked after and the second one was taken to Cormeilles. Looking at the photograph of the Cormeilles model I think it is Dads model and if you have any other photos that I could see I may be able to say if it is Dads model.
Sam Beddow tel>01291623632
Hi Sam, that’s really interesting! I do have another photo which I’ll send you, and will see if anyone else has some too. How wonderful to have possibly found the creator of the model – the power of the internet!! Thank you so much, Christine
Hello – I thought some of you might like to see some photos taken by my late father (Bryan Morgan) who with my mother went to Cormeilles in 1986 to celebrate the 10 years anniversary back in 1986. They then went on to visit Paris before heading home – this link should work, but it not, let me know! https://photos.app.goo.gl/f28zUcaKWe69zKPL6
Thank you Rob..before my time but I have recognised a few faces 🇫🇷I am sure some of the members will enjoy going back to 1986 …😊Merci 🇫🇷Keep well and safe 🌈🌞🌈 Isabelle Roberts -Chairwoman 🌈
I’m very interested in anything to do with William fitz Osbern. Who’s the best person in the Chepstow Twinning Association to talk to?