Gournay-en-Bray

Gournay-en-Bray is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France.

Geography

A town of farming and light industry, it is situated in the Pays de Bray, some east of Rouen, at the junction of the N 31, the D 915 and the D 930 roads.
The commune's territory includes three former parish hamlets, near the confluence of the Epte with three other smaller rivers – the Morette, Auchy and Aulnaie.

Places of interest

The Collegiate Church of Saint-Hildevert, built in the 12th century, is famous for its Romanesque capitals, ornate decoration and its ancient religious sculptures.
Vestiges of a 17th-century priory, now a farm
Ruins of a 12th-century Capuchin monastery
The chapel at the hamlet of Saint-Clair, built in 1829
A memorial fountain of the 18th century
The town gates and fortifications, dating from the 13th century
Traces of 10th-century fortifications
The 16th-century church of Saint-Jean-Batiste

International relations

Hailsham, England

Gournay-en-Bray is twinned with Hailsham in the English County of East Sussex. Hailsham has a much larger population but, according to Hailsham Town Council, "the features and facilities of both towns are quite similar". A twinning charter was signed in Hailsham in October 2000 and in Gournay-en-Bray in February 2001, and renewed in both towns on its 10th anniversary.

Notable people

Henri-Michel Guedier de Saint-Aubin, theologian and Sorbonne professor