Between Montmartin and Regnéville through the countryside and the harbour of La Sienne

Departure from the church square in Montmartin-sur-Mer.

Markings: Yellow^PR®

(S/E) Head towards the town hall on the D 49. On this road, turn right then immediately left.

(1) At the next crossroads, turn right onto Rue de La Triballe. Return to the main road (D 20), pass the gendarmerie and, immediately after, take the road on the left.

(2) After a few metres on Rue du Rocher, turn right onto a path that splits twice: each time, take the left fork. You will come out onto Chemin de la Sablonnière; follow it to the right. Ignore a path on the left and continue to Chemin des Rouges Terres.

(3) Turn right and continue straight ahead. Cross the D 437 carefully and continue straight ahead. Take the^first path on the right. Cross the D 349 and continue straight ahead on a small road.

(4) Come out onto the D 49 and make the first turn left then right towards La Rousserie. Ignore the turn-offs on the left and continue to a T-junction. Then turn left. Cross a small road and continue straight ahead (north). At the next T-junction, turn left and cross the hamlet of La Hérouderie.

(5) Turn right towards Urville. Join the D 156 and follow it to the left. Take the^first right and go down to the south bank of the Havre de la Sienne. Turn left and follow the river on your right.

(6) Take a small road on the left, then the^first right towards Les Vandais. Ignore the first two roads on the right and turn left onto the track. Take the next road on the right (D 249) to reach an intersection near Le Prey.

(7) Follow the road to the right, which quickly turns into a path. Turn left onto this path, which runs alongside the Sienne. Pass by the Le Mondin area and reach La Miellette.

(8) Then turn right towards Le Hable, then right again and finally right one last time to reach a final coastal path.

(9) Exit at the second intersection onto a road on the left leading to Rue du Port. Pass the post office and the Regnéville-sur-Mer campsite until you reach the castle.

(10) Turn left, pass the castle entrance and you will soon reach the church.

(11) Turn right onto Chemin des Matelots and you will find yourself back on Route de la Mare.

(12) Follow this road to the left and immediately take the^first left. This will take you around the area known as La Mare. Take the small path that leads to Chemin de la Ligne.

(13) Turn left and follow the road to the sharp bend leading to a place called Le Rey. There, take a path on the right. A few dozen metres further on, turn left onto a path leading to Robillard.

(14) Turn left onto Rue du Village Robillard, then right onto Rue du Village Hamel. At the next intersection, turn right onto Rue de Regnéville, then take the^first right. Then take the^second right.

(15) After a few metres, turn left onto a small road that becomes a path, passing through Les Quéminets and leading to the D 437 (Rue des Quéminets).

(16) Follow this street to the right and continue towards Ourville. Before reaching the area, turn left onto Rue du Montillet, where a path follows a small road.

(17) At the^first intersection on the path, turn left towards Le Mesnil on the street of the same name. When you reach the main road, turn right then left and you will arrive at Rue de la Mer.

(18) Turn right and follow the road to La Poste de Montmartin-sur-Mer. Turn right, then take the^first left. Walk straight ahead to reach the church of Montmartin (S/E).

Difficulty: crossing the D 49 road; alternative route suggested in case of high tides.

- Picnic tables around the castle and along the harbour at Regnéville.
- Public toilets and water supply in Rue du Port.
- Restaurants and shops near the starting point (S/E) and in Regnéville-sur-Mer.

Point of interest - Ex-voto in Grimouville Church
An ex-voto can be seen in the Church of Saint-Étienne in Grimouville. It bears witness to the worship of the Virgin Mary by the sailors of the port of Regnéville. It depicts a 19th-century five-masted barque. In addition, a stained-glass window showing the Lord calming the storm is another ex-voto offered by Mr Rodolphe Nicolle, a former captain.

The harbour of La Sienne
This is the largest (915 ha) of the eight harbours - estuaries - on the west coast of the English Channel, a geographical feature that is unique in the world. A port of call from the Viking era until the end of the 19th century (export of lime), and now a mooring area for pleasure boats, it is attractive to migratory birds (brant geese, oystercatchers, etc.) and fish (Atlantic salmon). Seventy per cent of the harbour consists of salt marshes grazed by sheep.

Regnéville Castle and the maritime history of the town
Located on the edge of the harbour of La Sienne, this medieval fortress, founded in the 12th century, protected the important port of Regnéville-sur-Mer, one of the busiest in the Cotentin region during the Middle Ages. The scene of clashes between the French and English during the Hundred Years' War, it was razed to the ground in 1637. Since then, the castle has been owned by the Manche Departmental Council and has undergone restoration work that has given it a new lease of life. A discovery route surrounds the castle grounds, allowing visitors to learn about its history. The commune is marked by its maritime history. With its fishermen, rope factory and sailors' route, Regnéville-sur-Mer was once a hive of activity. The gradual silting up of the harbour slowed down the port's activity year after year. Now it is home to pleasure boats.

The lime kilns
Built between 1852 and 1854, the Rey lime kilns were constructed to produce lime for use as a soil improver. Benefiting from the presence of a carboniferous limestone deposit, the Montmartin region has had numerous lime kilns since the 16th century. The four monumental kilns at Le Rey remained in operation for only about thirty years, and lime production was abandoned around 1880. Since the summer of 2018, the municipality has been developing a route that allows visitors to discover the industrial history of the municipality in the 19th century.