Comberton & Le Vaudreuil: Celebrating over 25 Years of Friendship Across the Channel!
Did you know that Comberton is twinned with Le Vaudreuil, a charming town nestled near Rouen in Normandy, France?
2024 marked a very special milestone: the 25th anniversary of the Comberton–Le Vaudreuil twinning! To celebrate this enduring friendship, we had two fantastic events:
- In May, we proudly hosted our friends from Le Vaudreuil here in Comberton.
- In September, a coach full of Comberton residents travelled to Le Vaudreuil to continue the celebrations on French soil.
One particularly remarkable highlight: Daniel Clark, a Comberton resident, walked all the way from Comberton to Le Vaudreuil, arriving just in time to greet the coach party. His epic journey added a truly memorable touch to the anniversary celebrations. (Read more about it in the November 2024 issue of Contact Magazine page 33).
Why Do We Twin?
Twinning isn’t just about visits -it’s about connection, culture, and community. Our aims include:
- Fostering mutual understanding between our communities
- Encouraging educational, cultural, and sporting exchanges
- Improving our knowledge of each other’s language
- Bringing people together -all ages, all backgrounds
French not required! Families are especially welcome, and we host various social events throughout the year beyond the annual visits.
Upcoming Twinning Plans
- Our next visit to Le Vaudreuil is scheduled for October 2025, offering another chance to experience the warmth and charm of French village life.
Want to get involved?
Visit our website for updates and events
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About Le Vaudreuil
Le Vaudreuil is located in northern France, around 12 miles south of Rouen and 80 miles north-west of Paris. With a population of over 3,500, it sits along the River Eure, where scenic landscapes of forests, chalk cliffs, and plains meet at the crossroads of ancient trade routes.
With over 2,000 years of history, Le Vaudreuil has seen Roman legions, Frankish kings, Norman dukes, and English lords – a place rich in heritage and still thriving today as a vibrant community blending history with modern life.
A Look Back: How It All Began
The twinning journey began in September 1999, when Comberton hosted the first official twinning ceremony. A charter was signed by Bernard Leroy, Mayor of Le Vaudreuil, and Robert James, then Chairman of Comberton Parish Council.
In May 2000, we visited Le Vaudreuil for their own twinning ceremony, where a commemorative sign was unveiled to mark the bond between our two communities.
Want to see more?
Click here to explore photos and history from Le Vaudreuil and our twinning story.
The return visit to Le Vaudreuil
for their twinning ceremony took place during
May 2000 where a twinning sign was unveiled.
Here are some background and pictures of Le Vaudreuil ….
Around 4,000 years BC the first inhabitants settled on the banks and islands of the river Eure to live off the land and protect themselves against potential enemies.
The river Eure, as well as the Seine, became a navigable channel once towpaths were created. Le Vaudreuil is in a strategic location between Rouen and Paris where the two rivers join. During the journey are varied landscapes including forests, plains, chalk cliffs and river locks. The village has always benefited from being at the centre of trading routes.
The current village of Le Vaudreuil is more than 2000 years old and many famous names of British and French history came to ‘stay’. By turns it has been Gallic, Roman, Frankish, Norman, English, and finally French.
Nowadays Le Vaudreuil mixes industrial sites, which still make use of the proximity to the river, with a lively community, proud of its history but building for the future.
