From Espins to the Moulin du Traspy

Parking is available in the car park of the town hall, school and community centre, Square du F/L Greenhalgh Typhoon Pilot.

(S/E) With your back to the community centre, turn left to go uphill, ignore the path on the left (C 1, Rue du Champ de l'Orme), leave the town and carefully follow Rue de la Fontaine d'Espins (D 258) towards Cesny-Bois-Halbout until you reach the first intersection.

(1) Turn right onto Avenue du Val, then left onto Chemin de la Motte aux Friches, which descends into the valley. At the bottom of the path, at a place called La Motte aux Friches Guérêt, turn left onto the road, proceed with caution, ignore the path on the left and follow the Cesny stream on your right for about 200 metres.

(2) At Les Vignes, turn right, cross the Cesny stream and climb towards Château de la Motte. At the entrance to the property, take the dirt track that climbs to the left. Follow this path between two hedgerows until you reach the road. During the rainy season, this path is likely to be particularly muddy or turn into a small stream, but on the other hand, it should provide welcome coolness in summer.

(3) Turn right and follow the road with caution. Ignore the first road on the left, pass the hamlet and the second road on the left, then take the right-hand bend, ignoring the path on the left. At the corner of the next house (the Maison des Champs at the exit of the hamlet of Courts-Genêts - in the locality of Placy), turn left onto the path that descends towards the Moulin de Traspy.

(4) At the bottom of the path and just before crossing the stream, turn right onto the path that runs alongside the Traspy stream on your left. The entrance is not immediately obvious as the start of the path is marshy, fed by a spring flowing in the last part of the path, but fortunately the wet area is limited. Follow the stream on your left and then on your right and go up the grassy path to the hamlet of Moncel.

(5) At the intersection, turn left, go up the street and ignore the side roads (Rue du Pressoir and Chemin de la Mare d'Hélène) to stay on Rue du Moncel. Leave the hamlet and follow the road with great caution for about 900 metres until you reach the first intersection.

(6) Turn right and take Rue du Four à Pain. Continue along the dirt track that descends towards Espins. At the junction with the road, turn right onto the D 258, proceed with caution and ignore the first street on the right.

(7) In Bas d'Espins, just before the intersection with Rue de la Vallée Traspy (C 5) on the right and Rue du Lavoir on the left, cross the D 258 with caution to take the pavement on the left of Rue du Lavoir. Pass in front of the wash house, negotiate the right-hand bend and then leave this street by turning left into Rue de la Viardière. Follow the street, negotiate the right-hand bend to go up towards the church, then turn left into Rue de la Bourdonnière. A little further on, turn right into Rue Émile Mullois, going up towards the town hall, and turn left to reach the car park (S/E).

History of the hamlets (Espins)
The hamlets of La Motte and La Motte aux Friches Guérêtt are remnants of the medieval past of the commune of Espins. The Château du Val, built in the 17th century, was probably built on the site of a former residence of the lords of Espins. The imposing farmhouse of Bas d'Espins, located at the foot of an ancient "motte" in the Traspy valley, was built around a square tower. These two sites bear witness to the continuity and prosperity of the village's seigneurial history.

Le Moncel
Le Moncel, a village built on the side of a valley, invites you to stroll through its old streets lined with schist houses, typical of the Thury-Harcourt region. They bear picturesque names such as Mare d'Hélène (Helen's Pond) and Four à Pain (Bread Oven). (excerpt from "Voyage en Suisse Normande médiévale" by Mireille Thiesse)

Moulin du Traspy (private property) (Espins)
A little history: The first traces of human occupation in the commune date back to the Roman invasions. Pottery shards, copper rings and human remains found on the plain in "moving quarries" suggest the existence of a Roman camp. In the 11th century, a farm was built in a place called Foupendant to exploit the riches of the forest that covered the entire region. The village of Espins was established in the 12th century in the Traspy valley to take advantage of the river water. Espins had 76 houses in 1830 and only 49 in 1975.

The Tithe Barn
In the historic setting of one of the oldest farms in the region, you can admire the remains of a former 14th-century priory. This barn is remarkable for its square stone pillars and is representative of the Cistercian school of western France. It resembles, but on a smaller scale, the barn at Vaulerent, owned by Chaalis Abbey in the Val d'Oise.