Dannemois via Tertre Blanc from Soisy-sur-École

Parking: town hall square in Soisy-sur-Ecole.

(S/E) Use the pedestrian walkway to reach the front of the church and see the picturesque building (*) at 1 Rue de l'Église on the other side. Return to the crossroads at the entrance to the town hall square and head north on Rue de la Croix Bussière. In a right-hand bend, as you approach a beautiful house with turrets, don't miss the small passageway on the left after No. 13.

(1) Turn left onto Sentier des Ruelles and continue almost straight ahead until you reach Rue Saint-Spire. Turn right onto this street and continue to the triangular square with the war memorial, then continue along the left-hand side of the square.

(2) At the end of the square, turn left onto Rue de Cheval Bart towards the cemetery. Walk past the cemetery to the end of the street, then take the path on the left towards Tertre Blanc (*). Continue to the pumping station.

(3) Before the building, take the path that climbs to the right. Do not go down into the old sand pits. Generally use the passages furthest to the right to climb the Tertre Blanc in a spiral that narrows and turns anticlockwise. At the top, enjoy the views from the hill.

Leave the hill on the west side, turning immediately right at the very beginning of the descent, then right/left to join the path that descends towards the north-west. At the bottom, join the^GR® (red and white) trail that goes around the hill and take it to the left twice until you reach the junction of^{the GR®} (which goes to the right) and the^PR® (often yellow).

(4) Follow the^GR® to the right and leave the^PR® opposite. Continue to the D948.

(5) Turn left with the^GR® along the road. Pass the left-hand bend, then in front of the restaurant. Leave the road and follow the^GR® on the path to the right. Towards the top of the climb, you will find a junction of^{the GR®} and^PR®.

(6) Follow the^{GR® trail} to the left. Cross the aqueduct buried under a^{PR® trail}, then an area of old sandstone quarries (*). Walk along the edge of the plateau with the steep descent to the left until you pass a long left-hand bend.

(7) After the left-hand bend and before the right-hand bend, take the barely visible path that descends to the left. Follow it until you come out of the woods, then walk along the edge. Note: the paths that climb to the left lead to beautiful landscapes above but do not allow you to pass. Continue until you find the path above the aqueduct, then turn right to join the D83.

(8) Cross the road and follow the^PR® which passes over the aqueduct (*).

(9) At the crossroads, continue along the aqueduct. Pass the aqueduct maintenance buildings and arrive at the D148.

(10) Cross the road and follow the^GR® and^PR® trails that pass over the underground aqueduct. Cross a small road, then a path, and you will arrive at some barriers. A passage open to pedestrians allows you to reach Rue du Moulin in Dannemois.

(11) Take the street on the right. Pass in front of the Moulin de Claude François (on your left) and you will arrive at the crossroads with Rue de la Croix de Loutre on your left. Take this road for a few metres to reach the school and see the wash houses. Turn back and continue left along Rue du Moulin. At the next crossroads, turn right onto Rue de l'Église and follow it until you reach the church.

(12) At the church, note the right-hand side, the old roofless choir (*) and the farm behind (*). Turn around, staying on Rue des Francs-Tireurs, which turns slightly to the right. At the next crossroads, take the cul-de-sac opposite: Rue du Moulin à Huile. Cross the school and the woods and continue to Rue de Courances, turning left. Cross the next crossroads and continue straight ahead on Rue du Gué. After 150 metres, follow the^GR® on the right, Chemin des Aunettes, until you reach the sports and leisure grounds on the right. If you wish, turn right to take advantage of the tables and benches for a picnic.

(13) Continue along Chemin des Aunettes for a few metres. Before the woods, leave the^GR® and turn left onto the path over the aqueduct to return to Rue du Gué and turn right. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead, still on Rue du Gué. Cross the school and reach the crossroads on the other side. Turn right onto Route de Soisy and walk alongside the school to Moulin Neuf.

(14) Just after the mill, turn right. Cross the school and join a path on the left. When the path branches off to the right and climbs into the woods, continue straight ahead on a poorly marked path, walking alongside the school towards the north-east. After about ten minutes and a left turn, look for the bridge over the school, which is not very visible. Note: this passage is not the most practical, but it allows you to see the wash house and the beautiful mills and avoids the long detour of the^GR®.

(15) Cross the river and take the road on the right to reach the wash house. Immediately after, take the footbridge on the right to cross back over next to the Moulin de Réaux mill. 300 metres further on, take the path on the left that runs parallel to the river. At the next crossroads, turn left to find the entrance to the Moulin des Noues mill under the trees on the left.

(16) Moulin des Noues, home to the Verrerie d'Art de Soisy (*). Leaving the mill, turn left onto Rue du Moulin des Noues. Cross the river, pass the car park and turn right onto Chemin des Portes. Follow this road to Saint Germain-sur-École and the junction with Rue de la Mairie and the town hall on your right. Cross and turn 45° left onto Rue de l'Église. Join this street behind the trees.

(17) After the church, continue along the street for a few metres, then turn left onto the grassy path. When you reach Rue de l'École, turn left until you reach the triangular Place du Tréglonou. Turn right onto Rue de Dannemois. Less than 100 metres further on, turn right onto Chemin du Fief du Sault. Follow it to Rue de Melun. Look for the corner of the wall with a watchtower.

(18) Turn left and walk past the Parc residence built in the grounds of the Château des Réaux. Continue past the entrance to the Domaine des Réaux (Château *). Continue further, passing the junction with Rue des Fourneaux (on your right), then the left-hand bend. Opposite a house with curious chimneys and a turret (seen from a distance on the way there), take the passage on the left. Turn right after 100 metres and you will arrive at the back of the town hall. Take the passage to the right of the building to return to the front of the town hall and the car park (S/E).

The indications (*) in the description refer to the chapter "During the hike or nearby".
Markings:
- Long-distance hiking trails: GR®, national level: white/red.
Country Long-Distance Hiking Trail: GRP®, often in long regional circulars: generally Yellow/Red.
Short-distance hiking trails, generally local circular trails lasting a few hours: a single yellow mark (the original colour), or blue, green, orange, etc. Note: as these trails are increasing in number, a PR® may have recently changed colour.

(S/E) Saint-Aignan de Soisy Church,^12th to^15th century.
The house next to the church: Stucco and ceramics Town Hall Square: this picturesque building is one of the last manifestations of the romantic inspiration of Edouard Osmont de Tillet, the local lord. It was intended to house an establishment where girls were taught sewing and home economics. This building served as a presbytery and parish hall for religious and then communal celebrations. For reasons of standards and safety, the municipality had to give up this type of event.
(3) The Tertre Blanc, whose origins are linked to the sand pits that shaped the site. Beautiful view of Soisy,
(6) The local landscape is shaped by numerous old sandstone quarries.
(8) We walk above the Vanne and Loing aqueducts, built under Napoleon III to supply Paris with drinking water from the Vanne springs near Sens and the Loing Valley south of the Fontainebleau forest. It should be remembered that many diseases and epidemics were caused by the poor quality of the water used before these aqueducts were built.
(12) The Church of Saint-Mammès in Dannemois dates from^{the 11th} and^12th centuries. The eastern section was added in^{the 14th} century. It collapsed in 1900: see the section without a roof. Behind it is the Louvetière farm/castle, which was a Templar commandery. It is unclear how much of the original structure remains, but it should be remembered that the Templars' fortified farms were very austere.
(13) Picnics are possible near the sports fields.
(14) The Moulin Neuf.
(15) Lavoir de Soisy and Moulin de Réaux, probably the former mill of the castle of the same name in Soisy.
(16) Le Moulin des Noues and the Verrerie d'Art de Soisy. This place of creation for master glassmakers and glassblowers is the cultural attraction of Soisy-sur-École. It is usually possible to enter, see the park and watch the glassmakers at work.
(17) Saint-Germain d'Auxerre Church in Saint-Germain sur École.
(18) 300 metres to the left is the Réaux estate and château. The Château des Réaux has stood on the commune's territory since the Middle Ages but has been remodelled several times, particularly in the second half of^{the 19th} century. It was converted into a retirement home in the 1970s.
It was owned by Emma Pauwels (1826-1883), Countess Osmont du Tillet, a socialite in Paris during the Second Empire and the wealthy heiress of engineer and industrialist Antoine Pauwels (1796-1852), who created the^first city gasworks in Paris and municipal gas lighting, as well as a paddle steamer factory that established the Le Havre-Rouen connection. He was also a member of parliament for Haute-Marne and mayor of La Chapelle-Saint-Denis.
- Emma's son, Edouard Osmont du Tillet (1848-1921), an engineer from the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, undertook major renovation work on Les Réaux. He was responsible for building the house next to the church, which can be seen at the start of the walk.