From Mesnil Saint-Denis to Chevreuse, between history and nature

The walk starts at the château/town hall in Mesnil Saint-Denis. There is ample parking opposite the château.

(S/E) To start this walk, you can walk around the château if the gates are open.
Then follow the D58, leaving the château on your right. Take the^first dirt track on the left, towards the Beaurain farm visible in the distance.

(1) At the foot of the farm, turn right. Follow the dirt track southwards to the Carrefour des Six Croix crossroads at the entrance to the Bois de Maincourt woods.

(2) Then take the^first path on the left. At the next crossroads, turn left and leave the woods. At the T-junction, turn left. Cross the hamlet of Grand Ambesis.

(3) At the end of the hamlet, take the path that branches off sharply to the right. This path alternates between tree-lined passages and fields.

(4) At the end of this path, turn right. After about 100 metres, turn left and stay on the edge of the path.

(5) At the T-junction, turn left. Stay on the path along the edge of the plateau until you reach the hamlet of Bel Air.

(6) Cross the hamlet, continuing straight ahead along Rue de la Poncerie. Cross the hamlet of La Motte, continuing straight ahead along Rue du Peuplier.

(7) Cross the D91 with caution and continue straight ahead. At the fork, keep to the right. Turn right with the road and reach the place called La Grande-Maison.

(8) When you reach the buildings, turn left and head into the woods, following the^GR®11(red and white markings). Pass the hamlet of Jagny. When you reach the tarmac road, go downhill and turn right with the road.

(9) At the end of the bend, turn left onto a path between the houses (be careful to spot this turn). You will come out onto Rue du 8 Mai 1945 and follow it to the right. Take the^second left, Rue Jean Mermoz. At the end (school), first turn right then left to pass between two buildings. When the street turns right, veer left, cross a park and come out onto Rue de Versailles.

(10) Cross this street and take the Sente des Remparts opposite, slightly to the left. Go up this street until you reach a path that climbs towards the Château de la Madeleine. You can either go straight up, but it is very steep, or take the winding path, which is a little longer but easier. Reach the castle forecourt, where you can enjoy a remarkable view of Chevreuse and the Yvette valley.

(11) Turn left and leave the château on your right. At the car park, follow Route de la Brosse on the left. At the first fork, take the left-hand road, still following Route de la Brosse. Continue straight ahead (north-west) for about 700 m until you reach Carrefour de la Madeleine.

(12) Turn right (north) onto Chemin Jean Racine.

(13) At Carrefour du Roi de Rome, take the^second road on the left and descend steeply with a few bends. Join the D46 and make the first turn right then left to take a road between meadows to the north-east.

(14) Cross the Rhodon and, at the crossroads immediately ahead, turn left, leaving the Moulin de Fauveau pond on your left. Continue along Chemin Jean Racine, which is very well signposted. At the hamlet of La Lorioterie, turn right and head north. Cross the D91 (caution: busy road, poor visibility to the right) and continue straight ahead on Chemin Jean Racine. Ignore a path on the left and continue to the site of the former Port Royal des Champs Abbey.

(15) Walk along the estate on your left. Ignore a path that goes up to the right and turn left along the estate. Looking up, you will see the 100 steps and the Port Royal museum (former Petites Écoles).

(16) Continue west-northwest on the path at the bottom of the valley, keeping the Rhodon at a distance on your left.

(17) At the Fontaine Couverte, turn left and cross the Rhodon. Immediately turn right and follow the river on your right. At a three-way junction, follow the path on the right. Continue along the Rhodon and ignore a path on the left.

(18) Cross the stone bridge over the Rhodon, turn left and follow the river on your left.

(19) Cross the Rhodon one last time and head south-west between the fields. Pass under a power line, join a path and follow it to the right. At the next intersection, go straight on into the village of Rodon.

(20) At the crossroads (cross), turn right into Rue de la Croix Mathurine. Pass a pond on your right and, at the fork that immediately appears, turn left. Shortly afterwards, turn right into Rue Léon Bobin. Follow this street to the centre of Mesnil-Saint-Denis.

(21) Cross the crossroads and continue straight ahead along Rue Henri Husson. Cross Rue Charles de Gaulle on the right-hand side and continue to the château (S/E).

(S/E) Château du Mesnil-Saint-Denis: this château was built in 1589 by Louis Habert de Montmort, Secretary of Finance to Henry III and Ordinary Treasurer General of Wars.

(1) Beaurin Farm: the buildings were constructed around the 17th century, on the site of an old medieval fortress destroyed following the construction of the château.

A little further on (3), the Domaine des Ambesis is a beautiful mansion built in the early 18th century for Nicolas Tixerant, director of the Glaces factory.

(11) Château de la Madeleine, a fortress built between the 11th and 14th centuries.

(15) Port-Royal Abbey was founded in 1204 by Mathilde de Garlande. It was a Cistercian nunnery.