Route des 3 Valleys in Coutances

Departure from the bridge over the Soulles with car park nearby, in Rue du Pont de Soulles.

(S/E) At the Soulles bridge, turn onto Rue du Pont de Soulles and head north. At the junction with Rue des Teintures, turn left to the end of the street, then right towards the town centre for 70 metres.

(1) At Rue de Regnéville, cross the avenue and continue straight on the D20. At the first crossroads, turn right onto Rue de la Quibouquière and continue for about 550 metres.

(2) At the three-way junction, continue right towards Serres&Jardin. After about 150 metres, take the path at an acute angle on the right and descend towards the Bulsar river. Do not turn right towards the bridge; stay on the left and follow the path to the tarmac road. Turn right and continue to the end of Rue du Hameau du Turpin.

(3) Turn left (Rue des Piliers) then, when you reach the D44, cross it and continue straight ahead onto Cours aux Magens. After 80 metres, turn right onto Chemin du Moulin de Bas and continue to the end. At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue Chemin du Moulin de Haut and continue to the end of the street. Turn left onto Rue de l'Écluse Chette (D2) and continue to No. 30.

(4) Take the path on the right which, after crossing the Bulsar, turns right and leads to a street. Continue to the left and then, at no. 3, turn left onto Chemin des Sources (dead end). Follow it for 300 m until you reach a bridge over the Bulsar.

(5) Ignore the bridge and take the path on the right. Follow it for 60 m, cross the Bulsar and continue into the valley along the small river for about 750 m, crossing it several times. At the intersection, turn right, cross the footbridge and continue along the tarmac road to reach the end of Rue de la Forerie at an industrial estate. Cross the avenue and walk up it on the left for a few metres.

(6) Take Rue de la Nouvelle Idée on the right and arrive at a four-way intersection. Turn right to join a cross street (Rue de la Mare) and follow it to the right until you reach number 59. At the corner, turn left onto Rue de la Guérie and continue to the intersection.

(7) Cross Rue du Professeur Ramon and continue straight ahead on Rue de la Guérie. Stay on this street until you reach the intersection with the wide avenue.

(8) Continue left for about 180 metres and take the path on the right. Follow this path, below which flows the Prépont. Shortly afterwards, descend into the valley and, further on, cross the river and climb up the opposite side.

(9) At the intersection, turn right and continue to the end of Chemin du Parc. Ignore Rue Pierre Rivey and turn right onto the tarmac road. After about 100 metres, turn left onto the one-way street (except for bicycles) and, at the end, turn right again and cross the bridge over the railway line.

(10) Immediately afterwards, take the path on the left, Rue de la Criquette, and reach the start of a path on the right, at a wooden shelter on the left.

(11) Take the path on the right. After about 270 metres, the path turns right. Follow it, keeping to the right, until the path begins to run alongside the Soulles.

(12) Continue along the river and, at the road, turn left and arrive at the railway viaduct.

(13) Pass under the viaduct and follow the road, staying on the pavement. At the roundabout, take the first exit and return to the bridge over the Soulles (S/E).

Several other possible starting points:
- either from the Aquascole (known as Le Viquet) in Saint-Pierre-de-Coutances,
- or go around the Aquascole (AVRIL) and cross the bridge over the Soulles,
but everyone can do as they please, there are other possibilities.

Public toilets next to the cathedral and the mission car park.

Numerous shops.

Tourist Office: 6 rue Milon, 50200 Coutances.

Rue des Piliers: several houses on this pretty, sloping street bordering the Bulsard still have their private wash houses, once used for domestic laundry.

The public wash house at Écluse Chette: this is a concrete example of how river water was collected and channelled for collective laundry washing. The activity of washerwomen disappeared with the arrival of washing machines!

The Bulsard valley: the Bulsard is a stream that winds its way through meadows, copses, gardens and wash houses, sometimes running right alongside houses, jumping from threshold to threshold. In the past, men used its power to drive up to fifteen mills along its course. A few traces remain (Moulin de la Masse, Moulin de Haut, Moulin de Bas).

La Chapelle de la Roquette: La Roquette is a high, secluded spot. Around 1480, shepherds discovered a 38 cm statuette of Flemish origin there. Legend attributes miraculous powers to this Madonna. On 21 June 1593, Pope Clement VIII authorised the construction of a chapel. In 1645, Marie Des Vallées, a mystic from Coutances, accompanied the future Saint Jean Eudes, founder of several seminaries, to the chapel. Following the French Revolution, the chapel was purchased and restored by Baron Louis Duhamel, mayor of Coutances. The chapel became the property of the diocese in 1927. During the Second World War, it was a place of gathering and fervour.
The Friends of the Chapel of La Roquelle welcome visitors in July and August and participate in European Heritage Days.

Coutances Cathedral: an iconic monument in the historic capital of the Cotentin region, Coutances Cathedral is, along with Mont-Saint-Michel, the most famous example of Norman Gothic art.

The Jardin des Plantes: one of the oldest botanical gardens in Normandy. Created between 1852 and 1855 thanks to a bequest from Monsieur Quesnel-Morinière, this park offers a harmonious blend of French style with its symmetry, English style with its groves, and Italian style with its terraces. Superb flowerbeds and a collection of rare trees make this place a haven of serenity.