From Feuguerolles-Bully to the Guigne Valley

Parking is available in the small car park between numbers 12 and 14 on Rue du Moulin à Voide.

(S/E) With your back to the car park and the landscaped area separating the houses, carefully cross Rue du Moulin à Voide and take the path opposite to the crossroads.

(1) Cross Chemin des Tourelles (on the left and opposite), take the path that branches off to the left to pass between the houses, then continue along Rue des Normanites. Continue straight ahead on Rue des Oppélias, then on Allée des Ammonites until you reach Route de Vieux (D 89). Do not cross it, but turn left and carefully walk along the road on the left-hand pavement for about 200 metres until you reach the first path on the right.

(2) Cross Route de Vieux (D 89) very carefully, turn right onto Chemin des Plates Mares and follow it for about 900 m until you reach Route de Bully. Turn right towards the Ferme de l'Étang and the Château de l'Étang and follow the road for about 1 km until you reach the Route de Feuguerolles (D 89).

(3) Turn left onto the wooded path (Chemin de la Fontenelle) and follow it downhill for about 800 m until you reach a place called Bas de Vieux.

(4) Turn left onto Chemin Haussé dit du Duc Guillaume towards the Roque farm, then follow the Guigne stream on your right for about 1 km until you reach a fork.

(5) Keep left and go up, ignoring the path on the right that leads to Moulin de Bully. Turn left at the next crossroads and go up to the crossroads at the entrance to Bully. Turn right onto Chemin des Bois and go down to the Pont du Coudray road.

(6) Carefully cross the Pont du Coudray road and turn into Rue du Bosq opposite. Follow this street for about 400 metres, then keep right at the fork to reach Bully Castle. Turn left at the castle entrance gate, take the tree-lined driveway and cross Chemin de la Bruyère de Bully. Continue along the path opposite and rejoin Rue du Bosq. Take the left turn and continue to the next intersection.

(7) Leave Chemin des Carrières on your left and turn right onto the path that crosses the fields. Continue to the end and turn left to join Route du Pont du Coudray (D147) and the two large plane trees at the entrance to the village. Cross the D147 with great caution (no protected crossing) to take Chemin du Béquet on the left and continue to the intersection. Turn left onto Route de Vieux, leaving Rue Henri Rosel on the right, and continue for about 50 metres.

(8) Turn right onto Rue de la Place, ignoring Rue de la Boulangerie on the right, then turn left onto Chemin des Tourelles. Walk past the school and continue to the bend.

(1) Turn right onto the landscaped area separating the houses, cross Rue du Moulin à Voide with caution to reach the car park between numbers 12 and 14 on the street (S/E).

The iron mines of Saint-André-sur-Orne and May-sur-Orne

Location of the mine
The May-sur-Orne mining basin is located about ten kilometres south of Caen. It is part of the May-sur-Orne syncline, which was the subject of 10 iron concessions during the 20th century. The May iron mine exploited three of the four westernmost concessions: May-sur-Orne, established on 5 March 1896; Saint-André-sur-Orne, established on 1 September 1893; and Bully, established on 5 March 1896. The Maltot concession was only the subject of a small exploratory tunnel.

History of the mine
The May iron mine began operating at the end of the^19th century and continued until 1968. Eight municipalities were affected to varying degrees: Feuguerolles-Bully, Fontenay-le-Marmion, Maltot, May-sur-Orne, Rocquancourt, Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil, Saint-André-sur-Orne and Saint-Martin-de-Fontenay.
At the peak of production, 700,000 tonnes of ore were extracted each year. Mining continued until 1968. The administrative closure was completed with the renunciation of the four concessions concerned on 4 December 1975.

Underground hydrocarbon storage
After the four concessions concerned were relinquished, the cavities were used for underground storage of liquid hydrocarbons. Following difficulties in 1982 due to the presence of methane-producing bacteria, the storage facility, whose strategic importance in relation to oil shocks was no longer obvious, was shut down.
The final drainage took nearly four years, from 1984 to 1988. The configuration of the cavities, which had a low point used to pump out water during the mine's operation, made it possible to recover the hydrocarbons that had flowed to this low point. This was followed by the flooding of the mine, which occurred naturally after the pumping of mine water (groundwater seeping into the mine) was stopped. This gradual filling provided an opportunity to agitate the water level in order to skim off any hydrocarbons that might have remained in the cavities.
Once the filling process was complete, the mine water was transported for nearly two years to DPC depots for reprocessing before discharge.
It was not until 1993, in view of the satisfactory analysis results obtained, that authorisation was given for direct discharge into the Orne river.
Storage was finally abandoned in 1994 by order of the Minister responsible for mines.
The closure procedure included securing the structures leading to the surface, which led to the various access points being sealed off. No visits to the cavities were therefore made between the closure of the mine and the reopening of the access points in 2005.

The old flour mill known as the Moulin de Tous Grains in Amayé-sur-Orne

The mill is documented in the 17th century under the name Moulin de Tougrin. Around 1807, it came into the possession of the Bosnière family, who also owned the Moulin de la Roche (now destroyed), located downstream. Equipped with two wheels in 1828, it was regulated by decree on 23 January 1868. It ceased operation at the end of^{the 19th} century. Around 1888, it passed to Dominique Godefroy, a doctor, and its bakery was demolished in 1902.

In 1912, it was considered as a location for a military butcher's shop, but was converted into a rural building in 1913. In the early 1950s, Jean de la Llave, a sausage maker in Caen, acquired it and converted part of the workshop and the horse stable for his business. According to oral sources, the guts delivered emptied and cleaned were calibrated for charcuterie. They were salted and packed in wooden barrels in 33-metre portions. The lard was melted down for use in the manufacture of margarine or cosmetics. The production was intended for export. The establishment closed around 1965. It employed around 35 people, mostly women.

It is now a private residence, so please do not disturb the occupants.