Aspire to a Chateau

Discover Normandy's finest churches & abbeys on a unique steeple chase

Be in-spired! Discover the beautiful cathedrals, churches and abbeys around Normandy on a unique steeple chase.

Jon Barnsley, the owner of a small chateau guest house, has devised a new version of a treasure hunt which he calls Le Castel Steeple Chase. It has nothing to do with racing or chasing, but everything to do with steeples.

Couples staying at Le Castel guest house near Coutances are given a series of clues and photos of parts of steeples or spires that are within 75 minutes of the chateau. They can then plan a day finding them in their car, armed with a map and a digital camera.

They have to work out where the churches are from the clues and then devise a route that takes them to all four in-spiring buildings. When they arrive at each church they have to find the section of the building that has been photographed on their clue sheet.

The steeple chase is not a race and couples are encouraged to spend as much time as they like exploring each church. There are no prizes for guessing that the steeple chase takes you to Mont St Michel, but there is a prize of a bottle of champagne for the couple who come back with the most clues answered and the best digital photos of them at each site. The steeple chase also includes a church with stunning 16th century frescos and an abbey in a beautiful setting.

Three day Steeple Chase Holidays at Le Castel cost from 270 euros per person in January and February 2007, based on two sharing. This includes a luxurious en-suite room, breakfast and a four course, candlelit dinner each night.

Le Castel has just six luxurious en-suite bedrooms in the main house plus a two bed, two bath cottage in the grounds.

The steeple chase holiday is ideal for church groups or historians to take over the whole of Le Castel for a fun and informative break.

Le Castel is just over an hour from the ferry ports of Caen or Cherbourg, served by Brittany Ferries. For details on Le Castel call 00 33 2 33 17 00 45
or visit www.le-castel-normandy.com. For details on Brittany Ferries crossings call 08705 360 360 or visit www.brittanyferries.com

-Ends-

For further press information and pictures contact: Stephen Tuckwell
at the Brittany Ferries Press Office
Tel: 08709 010 215
Email: pressoffice@brittanyferries.com

Released 11 December 2006