Nature
In the middle of Estry’s cemetery stands the thousand-year-old yew tree of Estry. Its age is estimated at between 1,000 and 1,600 years, and it is considered one of the oldest trees in France. Explanatory panels have been placed near the yew along the cemetery wall.
Miraculously, Estry’s yew tree survived the liberation bombardments, during which the church just three metres away was badly damaged.
History
Estry was liberated on 15 August 1944 after twelve days of fierce fighting. During the Second World War, 80% of the houses in the municipality of Estry were destroyed. A stele in Estry commemorates the King’s Scottish Borderers as Estry’s liberators in August 1944.
In feudal times, the area around Estry was divided into five main fiefs. Jacques Olivier, a local resident, made a fortune in Versailles and, in 1755, paid an annuity to establish a public school in Estry where children learned to read and write.
Culture
The “Itinéraire du souvenir” runs from Rully to Saint Charles de Percy via Chênedollé and Estry. It follows in the footsteps of the men who liberated Calvados and the municipalities of Valdallière.
The Association des Amis de l’If holds an annual exhibition about yew wood and its various uses; the dates have not yet been set. At Christmas, the Association des Amis de l’If displays a nativity scene exhibition inside the trunk of the yew tree.
Those who choose Estry as their place to stay may wish to rent a holiday apartment.
More location pages: Goustranville, Nonant, Trévières, Monfréville, Saint-Pierre-Sur-Dives, La Graverie, Cardonville, Corbon
