Saint-Pierre-lès-Elbeuf Forest and the Oison Valley

This walk consists of 70% forest walking or small footpaths. There are a few sections on roads which can be dangerous, particularly the final stretch near Valanglier. It begins with a view of Elbeuf and the Seine valley and ends with a view of the small Oison valley. There are no signposts.

Details

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Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.74 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 321 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 313 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 136 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 24 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park on Rue de Louviers (D913) in the designated spaces, near the traffic lights.

(S/E) Go past the traffic lights, then head up to the right onto Rue Gravetel: the Pharma Synthèse company is opposite. Then turn left onto Chemin du Mont Enot. This road is a dead end for cars and turns into a small path that climbs into the forest. Cross a small bridge and continue climbing.

(1) At the first junction, turn right. Pass the forest car park on the right and continue straight ahead. You’ll come to a second forest car park on the left; walk alongside it and take the junction on the right. The path then leads back down.

(2) Walk along the edge of a clearing where trees are being felled. Join a path coming from the right, below, and turn left. Walk past a house on the right, then a forest car park with a barrier. Walk alongside the railway line and a field with a lovely view of Elbeuf and the cliffs of the Seine.

(3) Before the climb to the left, take the small path straight ahead to walk alongside the breeze block wall, then the cemetery. You’ll come out onto Rue de la Commune 1871.

(4) Turn immediately left to follow the path uphill, and reach a fork.

(5) Turn right. A little further up, the path winds its way three-quarters of the way round a large beech tree. You will reach a crossroads.

(6) Take the path on the right, then continue right along the forest track to reach the Carrefour du Chêne Fourchu, after passing the gate.

(7) Follow the road, veering left, and continue to a junction with a hunting lodge on the right.

(8) Take the forest track on the right to follow a long straight stretch.

(9) At the end of the track, turn left, then go straight on at the junction. A little further on, after the bend, walk alongside a cultivated field until you come to a field. Turn left and walk alongside the Mare au Vivier de la Saussaye.
Leave the forest, join the tarmac road, and continue to the junction: bus stop.

(10) Follow the road, veering slightly to the left, for about a hundred metres. Take the small path that descends to the right.

(11) At the bottom of the path and before the car park visible below, turn left to walk back up alongside the riding school. Walk along the upper edge of the Oison valley. At the end of the path, continue along the road, then turn right at the wayside shrine. Walk a good hundred metres.

(12) Take the path leading down to the right and head back into the forest. You’ll come out onto the D86; follow the road to the left, pass the small crossroads, and go straight on.

(13) After the bend and at the pumping station, take the path on the left, crossing the small footbridge over the river. At the edge of the field, continue straight on. At the crossroads, turn right, heading downhill, and rejoin the D86.

(14) Cross carefully to take the Chemin de la Ruellette opposite, which climbs between the houses and then into the forest. A little further up, follow a fence on the left, then continue between two fences until you reach a field.

(15) Turn left and continue along the fence. Pass the Mont Roquelin estate and head back down until you reach the road.

(16) Turn right towards the hamlet of Valanglier: take great care on this road, as cars can travel at high speed, visibility is poor, and there is little space to walk at the side of the road. Pass the Valanglier manor house.

(17) Turn left onto Rue Auguste Dautreme (dead end). At the wayside shrine, continue to the right onto the Mont Eno path. Once in the forest, carry straight on, leaving a path on your left, and rejoin the path you started on.

(1) Turn right, cross the small bridge again, and you’ll find yourself near the Pharma Synthèse company. Head to the nearby car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 24 m - Route de Louviers/Pharma Synthèse
  2. 1 : km 0.47 - alt. 67 m - Junction of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 1.6 - alt. 53 m - Viewpoint over the Seine
  4. 3 : km 2.57 - alt. 70 m - Junction, straight ahead
  5. 4 : km 2.93 - alt. 53 m - Rue de la Commune 1871. Path on the left
  6. 5 : km 3.17 - alt. 96 m - Path on the right
  7. 6 : km 3.63 - alt. 126 m - Crossroads
  8. 7 : km 4.01 - alt. 124 m - Carrefour du Chêne Fourchu
  9. 8 : km 4.75 - alt. 126 m - Hunting lodge, on the right
  10. 9 : km 5.94 - alt. 126 m - Turn left
  11. 10 : km 6.79 - alt. 132 m - Crossroads, bus stop
  12. 11 : km 7.39 - alt. 75 m - Turn left
  13. 12 : km 8.23 - alt. 118 m - Path on the right
  14. 13 : km 9.6 - alt. 59 m - Pumping station
  15. 14 : km 10.51 - alt. 55 m - Chemin de la Ruellette
  16. 15 : km 11.19 - alt. 89 m - Field
  17. 16 : km 12.21 - alt. 54 m - Road junction
  18. 17 : km 13.06 - alt. 38 m - Rue Auguste Dautreme - Oison (rivière)
  19. S/E : km 14.74 - alt. 24 m - Return via the Louviers road

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
kelylamil
kelylamil

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, offering a mix of woodland and rolling countryside in the lovely Oison Valley, with its stunning scenery.
Logging operations underway after point 2 meant we couldn’t follow your route exactly, but that’s no problem; other accessible paths allowed us to reach point 6.
Before point 1, the bridge/footbridge in the middle of the forest is a surprise .
In light of previous reviews, I parked my car at the car park by the church in St Cyr La Campagne, and indeed, there is no possibility of parking on Route de Louviers, as indicated.
I really enjoyed this walk, especially as I extended it to go to La Saussaye (and its collegiate church) from point 9.
Thank you for this lovely, varied route.

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benoitrando
benoitrando

Good evening, Émilie,
Your photos are still relevant; I’ve just added one
Thanks again

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Emilie27
Emilie27

Hello,
I’m delighted that you enjoyed the hike.
Why can’t I see my photos on the hike’s homepage anymore?

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benoitrando
benoitrando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Congratulations on this lovely route, which winds gently through the hills before finishing with a steep climb.
A very pleasant forest route.
However, it’s very difficult to park on Rue de Louviers in Saint-Pierre-les-Elbeuf. So I drove to Saint-Cyr-La-Campagne, to the church square, where there’s plenty of space and no danger. I set off from the church to reach point 16 and carried on to 17, and so on; this adds about 1.7 km to the original route.
Thank you, Emilie27, for this lovely route.

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Grandi
Grandi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We followed this route entirely on our own and didn’t encounter any problems. A lovely, varied route.

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maingaultp@orange.fr
maingaultp@orange.fr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, mostly through the forest, which is so beautifully coloured at this time of year
I set off from the car park at St-Cyr-la-Campagne church. Pros: easy parking, avoids the return journey between the start and point 1; cons: you walk about 300 m further along the D86,

At point 3, I couldn’t find ‘the little path straight ahead’ so I went up the hill and, following the main path, ended up at point 7
The next day, I returned to point 3 and there I found the path, but it’s difficult to follow the breeze block wall; the semblance of a path is very cluttered with branches … unless I’ve got it wrong again!
I actually prefer the route I stumbled upon by chance, even though the climb is steeper as it’s less gradual.

During the hunting season, is there anywhere we can check to see if hunting is taking place or not?

In any case, thanks for this route!

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