From Château du Haut Mesnil to Notre-Dame de Tronchet Abbey

Park in the car park next to and behind the Town Hall (near the D9 road).

(S/E) Leave the car park and head back to the D9 road, Rue du Baillage. Turn left and then immediately left again to take the path before the Méleuc stream, which heads north. The path runs alongside the Méleuc and joins the Route du Clos du Grand Bois.

(1) Head left along this road. Right at the start, there is a golf course on the right. Follow it until you reach a right-angle bend to the left, where two farm tracks begin. Continue along the shaded one, opposite and in line with the Route du Clos du Grand Bois.

(2) At a fairly sharp bend to the left, after about three to four hundred metres, continue along the main track which crosses a small wood on the western side. Further on, the track joins the Route du Clos Cateline. Turn sharply left to follow this small road southwards for about two hundred metres until you reach a T-junction with the D73.

(3) Turn right and follow this road with care until you reach the farm track on the left at the edge of the woodland. Turn left, then immediately turn right onto the track through the woodland, which runs parallel to the D73 for about thirty metres before heading south-west. Follow the track to the first crossroads.

(4) Turn right onto the track that winds north-west. When it joins a straight track running north-west to south-east, follow it to the right, heading north-west, towards a four-way junction.

(5) Continue straight on along the path heading north-west. Follow it until it joins the road leading to Rouesnel further west. Turn right and follow the road carefully north-eastwards until you reach the junction with the D73. Cross it carefully and continue straight ahead for about four hundred metres along the road leading to the Landes de Villegâte, until you reach a junction.

(6) Turn right onto a path that crosses the woods, heading broadly eastwards. Here, look out for the plaque hung on a tree in honour of Donald J. Brandt, who died on 3 August 1944 whilst saving Villegâte. The path winds its way through the woods for a short while and eventually approaches an intermittent stream, following its course on the north side. Further on, it crosses the stream and, less than a hundred metres further on, reaches the road coming from Mireloup further to the north. Proceed carefully to the right along this road for 50 metres until you reach a T-junction. Cross it and take the path opposite, which leads straight into the woods.

(7) Turn onto the first path on the left. This path winds its way and joins a small dead-end road to the right. Cross it and continue along the path opposite, which winds through the woods alongside a small cove of Lake Mireloup. The path ends about twenty metres before the end of the road.

(8) Follow the path that continues to the right, running alongside the shore of Lake Mireloup on your left. The path runs for some time along the edge of the Mesnil State Forest on your right and the lake on the other side. It eventually follows a bend in the lake. Continue straight on along the path until you reach the Route du Clos du Grand Bois, which you took at the start of the walk.

(2) Turn left onto this road, taking care, and proceed to the banks of the Meleuc at the initial junction.

(1) Carry on straight ahead over the bridge crossing the river until you reach a junction.

(9) Turn left with care and follow Rue de l’Abbatiale (the D119), which immediately takes a right-angle bend to the right in front of the former abbey church, now a hotel. About three hundred metres after the bend, turn left onto the street leading to the abbey and its gardens, which are open to visitors.

(10) Retrace your steps back to the bridge without crossing it.

(9) Turn left to follow Rue de l’Abbatiale as far as the D9. Turn right onto the pavement and cross the River Meleuc via the bridge, heading towards the town hall. Just before you reach it, turn right to return to the car park (S/E).

The car park is situated next to and behind the town hall. Another option is available by the D9 road on the bridge crossing the Meleuc (for cars only).

This walk across varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

This walk presents no real navigation difficulties as it is marked with yellow signposts. In addition, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, whilst paying close attention to the landscape. The waypoints (with their GPS coordinates and the distance from the starting point) serve as aids for walkers exploring the route for the first time.

Please note that the path running north of the Château du Haut Mesnil must not be used at the owner’s request. This section is not part of the route proposed on Visorando but is still listed in other sources.

Hike completed by the author of this guide on 9 May 2023 and 25 August 2023.

Notre Dame de Tronchet Abbey.