King of England, Henri II Plantagenet took refuge in the Castle of Fresnay on June 12, 1189, after he was driven away from the city of Le Mans by King Philippe-Auguste.

On September 5, 1200, sinister Jean sans Terre passed by Fresnay.

Maine Normand region economy is very dependent on hemp culture; that plant, originated from Central Asia, first appeared in Europe as early as 1500 before Jesus Christ. Mostly used as raw material for textile manufacture, hemp is now becoming popular as an isolation material.

Very typical of the region, the "roussard" rock is a kind of sandstone made of silex grains linked together by a ferruginous paste generally very compact. By entering in contact with moist air, iron oxidizes, turning the stone in a rust tint. Many religious building are made of "roussard" stones.

Alpes Mancelles hills have inspired four local poetic lines (free translation, and rimes do not match in English!) :

"If Haut Fourché was on Narbonne
One could see Paris and Rome
And if Narbonne was on Haut Fourché
One could see all the city !"

Another version:

"If Haut Fourché was on Narbonne
One could see Paris and Rome
And if Narbonne was on Haut Fourché
One could see the entire world !"