Did you ever hear of the Great British Invasion of Pau?
by Heather
3 minutes 39 seconds read.

Google the words Invasion and France and you get a long list of possibilities. But did you ever hear of the Great British invasion of Pau?

In 1814, Wellington invaded the South West of France and built an outpost in Pau. The soldiers, being terribly British, brought with them many cultural obsessions of the day, including afternoon tea, fox hunting, golf and cricket. They enjoyed being in Pau so much that, even when the war was over, they made a point of returning for their holidays.By the mid 1850s Pau was inundated with terribly British aristocrats who built terribly British parks, manor houses and gardens … many of which still exist today.

Here at Clos Mirabel Manor we share a little of this history… in 1921, The Manor House was owned by an En­glish­man, Lord Hugh Faulkn­er, a colonel in the In­dian Army. He was great­ly at­tached to Clos Mira­bel and with re­gret re­turned to the UK at the be­gin­n­ing of WWII.The current owners Ann (a fellow Brit) and André (French-Canadian), have lived at Clos Mirabel Manor since 2003 and it is true to say that they have a bit of a reputation for making a great cup of tea!After undertaking a ma­jor ren­o­va­tion in 2005 re­tain­ing as many of the his­tor­i­cal fea­tures as pos­si­ble, the Clos Mira­bel Es­tate now pro­vides a hill­top haven in Bed and Break­fast and Self Ca­ter­ing Ac­com­mo­da­tion where vis­i­tors from around the globe feel re­freshed and in­spired.

Of course, Pau is still quintessentially French. It just has a little added twist of Brit, which is what makes it such a fascinating place to visit. Here are just a few reasons for putting Pau on your visit list:

At Clos Mirabel we believe one of the greatest pleasures of Pau is simply strolling along the quaint cobbled side streets, soaking up the atmosphere. These charming, winding streets are filled with cafés and bars plus lots of interesting independent shops selling antiques and local produce. What better way to stock up on gifts and souvenirs?

The Chateau de Pau is within easy reach. This 14th century castle museum offers reasonably priced guided tours with highlights including some exceptional historic tapestries and the legendary turtle shell which is said to have acted as a crib for the new born King Henry IV.

A popular and memorable place to visit is the Boulevard des Py­rénées.Here, the views of the Py­rénées are simply breathtaking, even when the weather is less than perfect. The Boulevard is dotted with cafés and restaurants, so when you get tired of strolling you can break for lunch whilst overlooking the spectacular panoramic views. Cameras are a must.

Everything in Pau is within walking distance of each other but one of the easiest ways to get from the train station area up a very steep hill to the Boulevard des Py­rénées is to take the Funiculaire. The Funiculaire (a cross between a cable car and a tram) takes just a few minutes to go up or down and costs you absolutely nothing! The funicular operates from 06:15 to 21:00 on Mondays to Saturday, and in the afternoons on Sundays and public holidays.

Les Halles Market is open every day except Sundays and is jam-packed with top quality local produce from the region. We challenge you NOT to come away with armfuls of cheese, boudin, charcuteries, and many more mouthwatering local specialties.

If you’ve got an hour or so to while away, you could wander through Parc Beaumont, a grandiose yet charming garden in the historic centre of Pau. The park is filled with exotic trees from around the world including monkey puzzles from South America, tall Sequoias from California, flowering Judas trees and more. The Musee des Beaux-Arts, situated nearby, is also worth a visit.It features works by Rubens and El Greco and also by Degas.

Visit Pau and you will quickly discover why it’s been so popular with British tourists for over 200 years!

For more on what to do in South West France, head on over to the Clos Mirabel website or visit our Facebook page .