Between land and marsh -1-

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This route allows us to experience a walk along a towpath and reach the land overlooking the marsh.

Details

n°61719
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.33 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 108 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 108 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 115 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 7 ft
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Description of the walk

This route, which takes you through both countryside and marshland, starts at the car park leading to the Maison des Ormes.
(S/E) We head towards the bridge spanning the Vire and Taute Canal (we do not cross it!) but turn left to follow the meadow running alongside the canal. We follow this towpath until it meets the tarmac road leading from Graignes-Mesnil-Angot to Montmartin-à-Graignes (D89).

(1) We turn left onto this road for about a hundred metres, then continue along a path on the right just past the canal.
This path at the foot of the hillside leads us to another path which climbs up to our left towards the hamlet of Saint-Nicolas.

(2) We walk through the hamlet and take the first path on our right. We then take the first path on our left, which leads us past a water tower. We continue straight on.

(3) We cross the first road and head along Rue des Sources until we reach the first road on the left.

(4) At the side of this path is a large washhouse, then on our right a well covered in ivy. We follow this path without changing direction significantly.

(5) We rejoin the D44 just before the hamlet of Le Paradis and arrive back at our starting point. We leave the car park there and head towards the Maison des Ormes, a lock-keeper’s house that allows passage from the canal to the Taute; it serves as an exhibition venue during the summer season

(6) We return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 7 ft - Car park at the entrance to the Maison des Ormes
  2. 1 : mi 1.32 - alt. 13 ft - Junction with the D89
  3. 2 : mi 2.03 - alt. 79 ft - Saint-Nicolas hamlet
  4. 3 : mi 2.57 - alt. 115 ft - Crossing the D444
  5. 4 : mi 2.95 - alt. 85 ft - Turn left
  6. 5 : mi 3.67 - alt. 105 ft - Junction with the D444
  7. 6 : mi 4.93 - alt. 7 ft - Maison des Ormes. Near the - Taute (rivière) - Affluent de la Douve
  8. S/E : mi 5.33 - alt. 7 ft - Car park at the entrance to the Maison des Ormes

Notes

No special equipment is required.

Worth a visit

The marsh, its storks and their nests, and picturesque wash houses. A wash house fed by a small waterfall at a place called Saint-Nicolas.

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
desvre
desvre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A really lovely walk.
Beautiful marshland scenery and plenty of birds.
Well worth doing even in gloomy weather (as long as it’s not raining)

Very well described.
We followed the route using the map. It was perfect.
There are no signposts

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Isabelle Bournier
Isabelle Bournier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A lovely walk in the first half, though slightly less interesting in the second half. It’s almost impossible to find a place to have a picnic once you’ve left the canal; you have to go back, but that’s not a problem as the walk is short. The sounds of birds and frogs are incredible, and you can spot storks perched on their nests. What a treat!

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grandin
grandin ★

I’ve just corrected the route, which didn’t match the description: as mentioned in a previous review, you do indeed need to take the towpath before the bridge

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Pcours
Pcours

Overall rating : 1 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

This route is not feasible because the path to the left after the bridge, as shown on the GPS track, is closed after one kilometre by park signs prohibiting access.

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brutusetzac
brutusetzac

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant route, ideal for exploring the marshes. Some lovely sightings: storks, herons, mallards… A clarification regarding the previous comment: it is indeed on the left before the bridge that you take the towpath (as confirmed by the sign at the bridge, which you reach about 2 km downstream); it is a grassy path but easy to walk on. If you cross the bridge, you’ll either end up on a wide path that comes to an end after about 1 km, forcing you to turn back (there’s too much water to continue across the fields or to climb up onto the parallel bank, which is separated by a small canal), or you’ll have to walk along the top of the bank, which is much less well-maintained and harder to walk on.
I’m not pointing all this out just to be contrary, but to save other walkers from walking an extra 2 km unnecessarily! (Return via the wrong path, located on the left after the bridge)

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

To make it easier to find, the WPTs have been added.

FLOCH (Moderator)

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Pierre Alleman
Pierre Alleman

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

As you head towards the Maison des Ormes (following some very discreet signposting!), the car park is just before the bridge. There is no path to the left before the bridge. You must therefore cross the bridge and turn left immediately afterwards. Then follow the canal upstream towards the next bridge, making sure to stick close to the canal (the path is very grassy and overgrown). After Rue des Sources, the first road on the left is very difficult to find. Follow your sat-nav carefully. A lovely walk where you can watch a pair of storks going about their business.

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