📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
This is the second year of the partnership with the town of Gouffern-en-Auge.
The council wishes to revitalise the town by hosting a volunteer work camp, to set up an international and intercultural project for the inhabitants, and to promote the local heritage.
The castle of Bourg-Saint-Leonard is open to visitors during the summer.
In an English-style park surrounded by a 400-hectare forest, the castle, with its orangery and stables, is a showcase of 18th-century furniture. The Chinese boudoir and the library have been restored over several months and are open to the public.
💼 What the programme involves
In the heart of the “Pays du Haras“, in the department of Orne, come and discover the Bourg-Saint-Leonard castle, classified as a Historic Monument in 1942.
The estate consists of the castle, an orangery, stables, caretaker's lodgings, a garden and orchard, a park and a 400-hectare forest.
The municipality of Gouffern en Auge has embarked on a vast project to restore various parts of the estate over several years. This project is being monitored and coordinated by architects of historical monuments.
The town wishes to organise international volunteer workcamps each summer for the reconstruction and restoration of the garden fence of the castle.
For this second year of partnership, you will continue the restoration of the wall that began last year. This year, a first workcamp will be organized in July, your mission will be to take over. The work will focus on rebuilding part of the wall, staking the mortar, repointing with lime mortar (a masonry technique for old buildings). You will be accompanied by competent facilitators throughout the project to help you step by step in learning these techniques!
🏠 Accommodation on site
You will be accommodated in the district of Chambois (castle of the 12th century to be visited) near the village hall. Accommodation in individual tents (bring your own sleeping bag and warm duvet). The kitchen and living area as well as the showers and toilets will be in the multipurpose hall. French volunteers will be able to share their internet connection through a hotspot (no WIFI) and laundry will be done by hand.
🍲 Food
The meals will be taken in a room in the mill with the volunteers of the local organization. The group will share the cleaning tasks and prepare meals together. The budget will be allocated to the group leaders and you will participate in the preparation of meals with good products from the market and local producers.
📍 About the location
Gouffern en Auge is a new town (merger of several distrcits) located in the department of Orne in the Normandy region, with a population of 3,700 inhabitants.
This workcamp is an opportunity to take full advantage of the exceptional and prestigious setting of the castle and to immerse oneself in Norman culture: culinary specialities, hiking, visit to the national stud farm (Haras National du Pin 5 km away), discovery of the local heritage, visit to the castle of Chambois (the district where you will be accommodated), activities and entertainment with the local inhabitants.
⚠️ Requirements
Foreigners belonging to the European Union must bring with them a personal EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), and everybody must, in any case, bring their insurance certificate. If health issues happen on the project, volunteers will have to pay for it, and then be reimbursed once back in their home country.
ℹ️ Additional information
Please bring gardening gloves, good shoes for working and working clothes. As the nights can be quite cold, remember also to bring warm clothes. Don\'t forget to bring a camping mat, a sleeping bag for cold weather (and a tent if you have one!).
Don\'t hesitate to bring traditional things from your country/region, photos, games, music instruments, etc.
