DEEP in the suburban heart of Paris, there lies an area with a link to our town.

Montmorency, a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, is a twinned town of Knutsford.

Twinned towns are areas that have made a joint commitment in trade, travel, and cultural exchange, as well as more generally friendship between the two places.

A wealthy commune of Paris, Montmorency became twinned with Knutsford in 1981.

The town boundary sign on Tabley Hill Lane notes the twinning arrangement, and in the past, there have been civic visits and sporting club games.

Whilst this arrangement has faded in recent years, former mayor of Knutsford Andrew Malloy looked to reinvigorate the twinship between the towns in 2019 with a visit.

Knutsford Guardian: A picture from Mayor Malloy's tripA picture from Mayor Malloy's trip (Image: Mayor of Knutsford)

A family visit brought Mr Malloy to the beautiful commune, where he was able to take in the sites of Montmorency.

The area is of vast historical significance, having once been the fief of the Montmorency family, one of the oldest and most influential royal families in all of France.

Nowadays, the main site of attraction for the commune is a stunning old church known as the Collegiate Saint Martin, a worthwhile reason to visit the town on the basis of its beauty alone.

Knutsford Guardian: