From bell towers to wash houses in the Automne valley

A beautiful walk in the Valois region between the forests of Retz, Compiègne and Senlis.

Details

217200
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.40 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 187 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 187 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 141 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 53 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available in the Rue de l'Automne car park, along the river of the same name, opposite the school.

(S/E) Head west towards the crossroads.

(1) Turn left, cross the river and immediately turn right onto Rue du Vieux Pont. This street continues between the houses via Rue de la Vacherie, then continue along the dirt track.

(2) At the fork, follow the path leading to the poplar trees and leave theGR®11Bon your left. At the next intersection, turn right, cross the Automne and head for the hamlet of Rocquigny.

(3) Turn right and follow the D32 road for 300 metres. Take the street on the left that leads to the hamlet of Elincourt. At the crossroads, turn left to leave the hamlet. Continue along a north-facing path and pass the Red Cross.

(4) Take the second road on the right after the cross. At the bend in the road, take the small path on the right towards the houses. When you reach Rue Saint Clément, cross it and continue downhill to the right for about 300 metres.

(5) Take the path on the left and, at the wash house, follow the path along the Ru Coulant.

(6) At the end of the path, go up Rue de l'Abreuvoir on the left. Ignore Rue de la Margelle on the left and, at the calvary, turn right towards the church (11th-13th century).

(7) At the fork, continue left for 150 metres. At the next fork, take the right-hand path. At the bottom of the descent, you will see a wash house undergoing renovation. Head towards the hamlet of Froissemont and cross it.

(8) Go down to the right to take the Sentier de la Fosse. At the bottom, continue to the right until you reach the wash house (in very good condition) located near the sports fields and the cemetery.

(9) Take the road on the left, then the left-hand path that climbs alongside the cemetery. At the entrance to the woods, follow the left-hand path that climbs through the woods to reach the Saint-Anobert Chapel (view of the valley). From the chapel, continue along the path that leads to the plateau.

(10) At the fork, turn right for about 250 metres, then left onto a path that leads to an old stone quarry. Ignore a path coming from the right.

(11) At the road, continue straight ahead (south-east) and cross a copse.

(12) Take the path that goes into the woods on the right. Cross the road and continue along this path. When you return to the road, go up it on the left for about 50 metres.

(13) Take the path on the right to reach Pondron and head towards the church. At the crossroads, follow the signs for Feigneux for 200 metres. Turn right onto the path that passes in front of the farm and runs alongside the river.

(14) At the end of the path, turn right onto the road that crosses the river (there is a beautiful wash house before you cross the D32). Cross the road and continue straight ahead, passing between the houses (yellow signposts) towards the Vautier-Voisin chapel. Follow the road on the left, passing in front of the chapel (Rue de la Chapelle) until you reach the crossroads, turn right, then immediately left onto a road leading to Fresnoy-la-Rivière. Continue straight ahead through the village and turn left at the second crossroads.

(1) At the crossroads, turn left and immediately join the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 58 m - Car park in the village square
  2. 1 : km 0.06 - alt. 58 m - Crossroads - Automne (cours d'eau) - Affluent de la Loire
  3. 2 : km 0.61 - alt. 70 m - Take the path on the right towards the poplar trees
  4. 3 : km 1.74 - alt. 64 m - Rocquigny - Junction with the D32
  5. 4 : km 3.51 - alt. 130 m - Second road on the right after the cross
  6. 5 : km 4.11 - alt. 83 m - Path on the left
  7. 6 : km 4.61 - alt. 70 m - On the left, Rue de l'Abreuvoir
  8. 7 : km 5.1 - alt. 91 m - Turn left before the church
  9. 8 : km 6.11 - alt. 101 m - Turn right onto Chemin de la Fosse
  10. 9 : km 7.03 - alt. 72 m - Turn left towards the cemetery
  11. 10 : km 7.92 - alt. 141 m - Road on the right
  12. 11 : km 8.6 - alt. 120 m - Cote 118
  13. 12 : km 9.21 - alt. 126 m - At the fork, turn right
  14. 13 : km 9.74 - alt. 82 m - Turn right towards Pondron
  15. 14 : km 11.71 - alt. 57 m - Turn right to cross the - Automne (cours d'eau) - Affluent de la Loire
  16. S/E : km 13.4 - alt. 58 m - Village square car park

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 27 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
JOELJOJO
JOELJOJO

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

beautiful trail, several wash houses, a very beautiful chapel, elevation changes.
Must-do

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françoisetchristine
françoisetchristine

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with pretty villages in the Oise region and stunning views. However, if you follow the yellow lines, these are not well maintained and it is better to consult the GPS track, otherwise you could get lost on the farm tracks where there are no signs. One small detail: at point 5, the GPS track crosses the right bank of the stream, whereas the path is actually on the left bank.

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Philippe 22
Philippe 22

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful light at the end of summer. Wide variety of landscapes and trails.

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Bonnay
Bonnay

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, autumn is lovely and the wash houses are worth a detour. I would definitely do it again. Thank you again

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Odisson
Odisson

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk. Varied landscapes, lots of birdsong, a field of orchids in bloom at the end of May, and pretty villages. Please note that the route is fully signposted as a PR (permanent walking route). If in doubt, just follow the yellow markings!

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randofrance
randofrance

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk to discover the villages and their churches.
Picnic table at the start

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petite hélène
petite hélène

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent valley
an interesting route in spring because you can see the villages and their bell towers in the distance
There are some hills, but it's so beautiful!
It's very pleasant to follow this river and discover the villages, their churches and their wash houses
Great route

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escapadesconde
escapadesconde

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, as bucolic as you could wish for. For those who love the countryside and old villages. It goes up and down...
Some very pretty views. Lots of colours on this rainy yet sunny May day.
The numerous wash houses provide picnic areas sheltered from the rain (which we really appreciated!).
Lots of old and charming churches.

Perfectly signposted.
The best thing: very little tarmac, which is really nice!
Really great!!

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marlant
marlant

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well signposted route.
Very pretty scenery, we settled down near the little chapel and Anobert for a picnic.

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dideuch
dideuch

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in glorious sunshine. A very enjoyable walk with a complete change of scenery, beautiful stone houses and pretty bell towers (and a few wash houses). A wonderful time spent outdoors with a delicious picnic. I plan to return later in the season to see the vegetation in different colours.

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Laeti93
Laeti93

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk, very varied, alternating between fields, woodland, pretty villages nestled at the bottom of valleys and old quarries.
We're not usually keen on crossing farmland, but we really enjoyed the sections through the rolling cereal fields, which were stunning at the end of May with their varied colours and abundance of wild flowers, especially poppies. It was like being in a Monet painting!
The villages we passed through were charming, with beautiful traditional bell towers, particularly the abbey church in Morienval and its rose garden (the church in Fresnoy la Rivière is also worth a detour).
The paths are well maintained and the route on the map is very reliable, but we hardly needed it as there are signs and yellow markings to guide you almost all the way (thanks to the FFR volunteers who were busy checking the markings).
There are quite a few open sections, so this walk is ideal in sunny but not too hot weather.
The only thing we won't remember fondly are the wash houses, but that's no big deal because we were blown away by the villages and their churches.
Thank you very much for this superb hike

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JanPolM
JanPolM

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant route with varied landscapes, sunshine and shade, and villages filled with flowers. Perfect for a family hike. Don't miss point 4 to descend to Morienval; the passage between two fields is difficult to see, but with the description, you just need to pay attention. We took a shortcut from point 13 to go directly to Vattier Voisin to spare the children's little legs.
We were lucky to find the church in Morienval open to visitors and were able to admire the interior.
The detour to the rose garden just below the church is also interesting at this time of year. The location of the St Annobert chapel between points 9 and 10 is ideal for a picnic.
When we passed through, the area between points 8 and 9, in the woods at the bottom of the valley, was overgrown with tall grass and a few aggressive nettles.

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marie2fontenay
marie2fontenay

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice walk. However, we had to turn back at one point because of hunting.
The description wasn't detailed enough for my liking, but with the map and GPS, it was easy to find our way around.
Thanks to the person who put it together.

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xine13
xine13

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike.

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BABECHACHOU60
BABECHACHOU60

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The route itself is good and well detailed, but the wash houses are in ruins, inaccessible due to brambles, or, in the case of the one that was in good condition, have been turned into an open sewer – what a shame!

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