historic military town MONTREUIL

Montreuil was the headquarters of the British Army in France during the First World War. General Haig was quartered in a nearby château. A statue commemorating his stay can be seen outside the theatre on the Place Charles de Gaulle. During the German occupation of the town during the Second World War, the statue was taken down; however, it was saved by the townspeople, and was rebuilt in the 1950s.

Montreuil had been recommended by friends who have been visiting the town for the past 20 years. Its full name is Montreuil-sur-Mer - and it was a seaside town once. Now, due to tidal changes, it finds itself 10 miles inland.

But sea or no sea, we were quickly captivated. Montreuil is a "ville fleurie", which means it does not stint on the window-boxes. Flowers cascaded over the walls lining the approach to the town. Wisteria clung to the old stone balconies. Petunias ran riot in front of the town hall. Every roundabout was a work of art.

In the courtyard of the Hôtel de France, where we had mid-morning coffee, it was impossible to move without knocking over a pot of geraniums or becoming entwined in a Virginia creeper. This 13th-century coaching inn used to be one of the stops on the road from Paris to Calais. With its tiny garret windows and crazily sloping roofs, not to mention a black cat that looks as if it has been around since the French Revolution, it is a marvellously atmospheric building and characteristic of a town in which the past is vividly present.

It is certainly present on the ramparts of Montreuil, which circle the upper town and offer splendid views across the surrounding countryside. Bales of hay shimmered in the distance. Swallows swooped through the poplars. An old man hoed his allotment, stooping to pick a marrow the size of a rugby ball. A river meandered through the valley. The scene had a timeless grace.

That same grace was apparent in the town centre. Montreuil is not a big place, just a few old squares linked by cobbled streets; but it is beautifully laid out and there are surprises around every corner. When we went to inspect the equestrian statue in the Place du General de Gaulle, wondering what the great man was doing on horseback, we found it was Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, who led the British forces in France during the First World War.

Another Briton who left her mark on Montreuil was Mrs Mary Wooster, who bequeathed her 19th-century mansion to the town as a museum. It is a delightful place and, from the high-ceilinged ballroom to the ornate bathrooms, complete with bidets on castors, gives a real flavour of gracious living.

For such a sober, solidly built town, Montreuil has an endearingly flamboyant side. Frivolous-looking lingerie and chocolate shops did brisk business. Laughter echoed across the cobbles. Even the town war memorial, in the Place Darnetal, seemed festive, with a scantily clad Angel of Death holding a fallen soldier in her arms.

After an afternoon lolling on the beach at Le Touquet, we took a roundabout route back to Montreuil via the beautiful Authie valley. I had never discovered this part of France before. Like most people, I roar past it on the autoroute from Calais. But I fell under its charm in seconds. Old abbeys, ruined watermills, sun-dappled forests, tranquil streams gliding at their own sweet will, and cows so fat and sleek and contented you wanted to hug them. It was quite a wrench to drive back to Montreuil and tuck into a five-course meal. Only the sumptuous terrine de saumon vindicated the decision. Oh yes, and the cheese course.

For after-dinner entertainment, we were hardly spoiled for choice. It was a case of dancing the night away at the West Indies Bar Club or attending the son et lumière performance of Les Misérables in the grounds of the castle. Given my head, I would have pursued the Caribbean option, the words "son et lumière" striking terror in my soul. But I was overruled by higher authority and was glad I had been.

Instead of what I was expecting, a cynical exercise in ripping off tourists, the performance was a triumph. As a piece of civic pageantry, a community celebrating its history with joy and panache, I have never seen anything to better it. This was the sixth summer in which Montreuil has staged the show and it deserves to run and run.

Capitalising on the fact that Victor Hugo set part of his famous novel in the town, Les Misérables was a 90-minute mimed version of the story, in which a series of tableaux was accompanied by canned music and taped readings from the text. It probably sounds pretty dire. What made the performance so charming, apart from the brilliance of the choreography, was the fact that all 600 parts were taken by the townsfolk of Montreuil.

From six-year-old schoolgirls to bearded old men, they dressed up in 19th-century costume for the evening and put on the show of a lifetime on the lawn in front of the castle keep. Every scene was a picture, from nuns praying in a convent garden to a prison chain-gang being conducted across Paris.

The great coup de théâtre was the Battle of Waterloo. After a non-stop whirl of activity, with guns blazing and a troop of cavalry charging up the hill, the lights dimmed, then came up again seconds later to reveal a scene of total carnage: bloody bodies strewn across the lawn and, centre stage, a dead horse that had collapsed under its rider. Even when the audience burst into applause, the animal did not move a muscle.

We emerged dizzy into the night and wended our way back to the hotel across the cobbles. How many English towns the size of Montreuil could stage a performance of this calibre? The sight of one of the nuns outside the patisserie, her wimple askew, holding a cigarette in one hand and a mobile phone in the other, only added to the charm of the occasion.

Getting there 
Montreuil-sur-Mer is about one hour from Calais by car. A Super Apex return from Dover to Calais, with two passengers, in May costs £89 with Sea France (09064 710777; http://www.seafrance.net/).

Staying there 
B & b in a double room at the two-star hotel Les Clos des Capucins (0033 3 2106 0865) on the Place du General de Gaulle, costs around £45 per night.

Eating out 
Les Hauts de Montreuil (3 2181 9592), set in a 16th-century timber-framed building, specialises in regional dishes.

Further information 
Son et lumière performances of Les Misérables are staged every summer in the castle grounds. For further details, and other information about the town, contact the tourist office (3 2106 0427;www.montreuil62.net).

What it cost for two
Ferry crossing £89
Accommodation £45
Dinner £50
Lunches £48 
Son et lumière £18 
Drinks, coffees £30
Total £280