Gouffern en Auge

Gouffern en Auge is a commune in the department of Orne, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of Silly-en-Gouffern, Aubry-en-Exmes, Avernes-sous-Exmes, Le Bourg-Saint-Léonard, Chambois, La Cochère, Courménil, Exmes, Fel, Omméel, Saint-Pierre-la-Rivière, Survie, Urou-et-Crennes and Villebadin.

Geography

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets: Survie, Saint-Pierre-la-Rivière, La Frênée, Omméel, Avernes-sous-Exmes, Fel, Aubry-en-Exmes, Villebadin, Chantereine, Courménil, Fougy, La Bélière, Le Bourg, Exmes, Le Bourg-Saint-Léonard, Silly-en-Gouffern, Urou-et-Crennes, Cayenne, La Cochère and Gouffern en Auge.
The commune is part of the area known as Pays d'Auge. Parts of the commune make up the area, the Plaine d'Argentan, which is known for its cereal growing fields and horse stud farms.
The Commune has three Natura 2000 protected areas which are shared with other communes the Bocages et vergers du sud Pays d'Auge, the Haute Vallée de la Touques et affluents and the Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents.
Five rivers run through Gouffern en Auge: the Dives, the Dieuge, the Ure, the Vie and the Barges. The source of the Dives is in the commune at Exmes. In addition there are 20 streams that also traverse the commune:

Hippodrome du pays d'Argentan is a racecourse for horse racing, based in Urou-et-Crennes.
Forest of Gouffern is a 4120 Hectare Forest that is split into two parts by the River Ure, Petite Gouffern to the south of the river and Grande Gouffern to the North.
Le coteau de la Butte is a Sensitive Natural Space of Orne, in Courménil. It is a 4 Hectare reserve, which you can observe its flagship species of Dactylorhiza viridis, Neotinea ustulata and Marsh fritillary.
Carrière de la Tourelle is a 2-hectare site in Aubry-en-Exmes classed as a Sensitive Natural Space of Orne. The site was created in 1987, and features fauna and flora such as dropwort, round-headed rampion and the Adonis blue butterfly.

The commune has 12 buildings and areas listed as monument historiques

Château du Bourg-Saint-Léonard, an 18th-century chateau listed as a monument in 1942 in 1954 it was bequeathed to the local municipality. The Chateau and its grounds are open to the public.
Donjon de Chambois, a former medieval dungeon built in the 12th century, by William de Mandeville. It was registered as a monument historique in 1901.
Château d'Exmes, the remains of a tenth-century castle listed as a monument in 1979
Château de Villebadin, a 17th-century chateau listed as a monument in 1978
Château d’Aubry-en-Exmes, a 14th-century chateau listed as a monument in 1968
Château de Courménil, an 18th-century chateau listed as a monument in 1991
Manor of Argentelles, a 15th-century manor house listed as a monument in 1926. Henry IV of France stayed here in 1591.
Chateau de la Roche, an 18th-century chateau listed as a monument in 1974.
Saint-André Church, an 11th-century church in Exmes listed as a monument in 1913
Fougy Church, a 12th-century church in Le Bourg-Saint-Léonard listed as a monument in 1971
Saint-Martins Church, 12th-century church, that apart from Sées Cathedral is the only stone spire to have been built before the 15th century in Orne. Registered as a monument in 1914.
Pierre Levée Menhir, a Neolithic Menhir that was classed as a Monument historique in 1889.

Opportuna of Montreuil, a Frankish Benedictine nun and abbess who was born here.
Herbert de Losinga, the first Bishop of Norwich was born here.
François Le Prévost d'Exmes, a French writer, playwright and literary critic who was born here.
Marie Louis Descorches, a French diplomat was born here.
Martin-Guillaume Biennais, a French Gold and Silversmith was born here.
Victor Paysant a priest who created The living and talking church of Ménil-Gondouin was born here.
Léon Bazalgette, a French literary critic, biographer and translator lived and was buried here.