Abbey aux hommes & St Etienne

Hello everyone,

I%26#39;ve been researching, reading and asking questions here for months now and now at last I can say I will be in Caen late next month but I have one more question I hope you can help with.

After arriving in Caen %26amp; collecting our hire car we had planned on visiting the abbey hommes (mens abbey) %26amp; neighboring St Etienne church (St Stephen%26#39;s ) and doing the tour that takes in the whole complex including the tomb of William the Conqeror. I have just read in a very old (15yrs) and possibly outdated guide book that as well as doing the tour you are also able to just visit St Etienne%26#39;s alone to visit the tomb. (none of the more up to date books I%26#39;ve read have mentioned this option)

As time may be an issue and we really only wanted to see this particular tomb the solo visit to the church might be a better option for us. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to just visit the church without doing the full tour?

Thank you all for what I%26#39;m sure will prove to be invaluable advice when we finally get to Caen and Normandy.

byrdbud

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Byrdbud,

I can%26#39;t see why not. St Etienne is an operating church:

abbaye-aux-hommes.cef.fr/activites_horaires.…

and this is what you are after, although there is not much left of poor William%26#39;s remains or his tomb, the current marble slab being replaced in 1802:

abbaye-aux-hommes.cef.fr/culture/arch08.htm

More info on the Ville de Caen site:

ville-caen.fr/Memoire/…

Hope you enjoy it.

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Thanks for the links.

I think we%26#39;ll give a solo visit a try, we may still have time for the tour but won%26#39;t know till we get there.

thanks again

bb

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