Seine-Maritime is a department on the northern coast of France at the mouth of the River Seine. On most maps it looks as though it is part of a jigsaw puzzle just waiting to be reunited with the Sussex and Hampshire coast 80 km away across the Channel.
Some of the countryside also resembles the South Downs and there are spectacular crumbling white cliffs – but that is where any similarities stop.
The towns and villages have distinct Norman French architecture, while the cities that were flattened in World War Two took the opportunity to rebuild in modern concrete – with mixed results.
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Unusually the department has two major cities: Le Havre on the Seine estuary, and Rouen further upriver, where France’s kings were historically crowned.
By road the two cities are an hour apart. Rouen is now a thriving university town and, although its population at 114,000 is smaller than the 166,000 of Le Havre, it is the departmental prefecture.
Le Havre, meanwhile, is starting to get back on its feet after a difficult period when unemployment rocketed as refineries, chemical plants and other heavy industry closed.
The department as a whole has a population of 1.2 million and is one of the most densely populated in France. It accounts for a third of the population of Normandy.
With all of Seine-Maritime easily accessible to Parisians via good road links, it has long been a favourite for second-home owners. Traffic updates on Sunday evenings as Parisians return to the city are a staple of French radio news.
Rouen does not have a TGV line. Instead, TER trains provide links to Paris Saint-Lazare in one hour and 20 minutes. The TER also links with Le Havre and Dieppe. Plans to improve the line have been in the pipeline for years.
Paris has the closest international airports. Brittany Ferries runs a regular Le Havre-Portsmouth route, with the crossing taking between five and eight hours.
The high population and popularity of Seine-Maritime for Parisian second-home owners mean properties in the department tend to be on the expensive side.
€50,000 or under
Interior in surprisingly good shapeIAD France Stéphane Lefranc
This traditional longére with 68m² of living space in the commune of Saint-Léger-aux-Bois arguably lacks kerb appeal. In addition, the temporary roof looks as though it needs to be replaced quickly with something permanent.
However, the interior appears to be in surprisingly good shape. Electricity, water and sewerage are all in place, and the 2,100m² garden boasts a garage with a stable and lean-to.
Obviously the €50,000 asking price will just be the start of the financial outlay as restoration efforts get underway. However, it looks possible that new owners could move in immediately and live there while doing the work.
The commune is described as green and peaceful, and is 30 minutes from the sea and two hours from Paris.
Includes a lovely linden treeStéphane Plaza Immobilier Dieppe
This old villa just outside Dieppe has a view of green countryside and lakes, and is on the market with an asking price of €174,500.
It has 73m² of living space, and has two bedrooms, a cellar, a loft, a garage on the road, and outbuildings which could be turned into a summer kitchen.
The garden is on the small side at 708m², but it includes a lovely linden tree, ready to send its perfume out in late spring.
Six bedrooms and 337m² of living space in the main building
This former hotel in the seaside village of Saint-Valery-en-Caux has an asking price of €745,000. It was built in 1930 and boasts a view over the yacht marina. The sea beyond that is just visible at the mouth of the river.
The property has six bedrooms and 337m² of living space in the main building. There are another four bedrooms in outbuildings.
This feeling of space is enhanced by high ceilings and large living rooms. There is also a cellar and a 2,400m² garden.
