Around Gamaches via Guerville

Car park in front of the Étang la Drague when approaching via Route Antonin Gombert, past the police station.

(S/E) Facing the lake, turn right, ignore the path on the left and carry on straight ahead, following the lake’s edge.

(1) Join the tarmac road, follow it to the left and walk past the leisure park. Follow the Chemin des Meuniers, which runs alongside and circles the pond on the left, then turn left again. The path winds its way between the River Bresle and the pond.

(2) After 250 m, on the right, take the footbridge over the Bresle. At the clearing, turn left and cross the railway line on the right. You’ll reach the D49, which you’ll follow to the right and cross after about 100 m.

(3) Follow the path opposite (you can pass the private track 70 m to your left). Follow this main path as it enters the forest for about 2 km; at the junction with the Route Adélaïde, continue to the left. Follow this main path.

(4) At the Bouillarderie forest house, turn left to see the Adélaïde memorial, which is 50 m away; otherwise, turn right until you reach the junction with the tarmac road. Turn right, leave the path on your right and continue along the road for 800 m.

(5) At the junction by the Croix du Père Saint-Antoine (Père Antime on the map), turn left and follow the track. Join the D126. Continue straight on along the D126, then take the track on the left after 400 m. Follow the track to the next junction.

(6) Turn right at the hairpin bend. Carry on, leaving the path on your left, and continue. This path turns sharply left and leads to Guerville.
Follow Rue de la Place (there is a square with benches on the right) and pass the school and the town hall. At the junction with Rue des Alliés, carry straight on along Rue des Alliés. Pass Rue de L’Église on the right and Rue de la Grande Vallée on the right as you round the bend to the left.

(7) Turn right onto Rue de la Haye, which leads to Bazinval. Pass Chemin de la Haye on your left and carry on straight ahead. At the junction, take the path on the right (passing La Babeau).

(8) Pass the Chapelle Dubos. Continue along the path to Bazinval. At the three-way junction with the D115 in Bazinval, turn left onto La Grande Rue. At the next junction, continue along La Grande Rue to the left.

(9) After 700 m, turn left onto Rue Babeau. Continue to the junction, turn left and then right after 50 m. Follow the path as it curves to the right and head down to the D49.

(10) Cross over and continue along the path opposite, the Chemin de la Cavée. At the junction with the D115, follow this road to the left. Cross the railway line, pass the Rue de l’Étang on your left and then cross the River Bresle.

(11) Take the first road on the left and continue between the ponds.

(12) Join the tarmac Rue Irénée Leroy and immediately turn left towards the pond.
Walk along the right-hand side of the pond and cross the footbridge on the right. Follow the narrow path, take the footbridge and turn right into Impasse du Château. Cross the square and, at the end, turn left onto Rue du Château. Continue along Rue Pierre Curie and then Rue de L’Église until you reach the end.

(13) At the junction with Rue de Normandie, by the church, turn left and then turn right onto Rue des Grands Moulins. Carry on straight ahead along Rue Philippe de Girard and then Rue de la Pologne. You’ll see the secondary school on your right. After the secondary school, at the junction with Rue Pasteur, carry on left onto Rue Richard Lenoir; you’ll see the Vimeuse on your left. Pass the tennis courts and ignore the entrance to the courts.

(14) Immediately afterwards, take the road on the right that runs alongside the lake and return to the car park in front of the Étang de la Drague (S/E).

Good walking boots.

The Dubois Chapel.
The Château de la Grande Vallée or Vigogne.
La Haye Castle.
The Adélaïde Stele.
The V1 site at Guerville.
The Glass Valley.