The Trait-Maulèvrier Forest

Park in the car park at Maulévrier Town Hall.

(S/E) Head towards Rue Saint-Léonard and turn right onto Rue Saint-Léonard. At the junction, turn left into Rue du Clos Saint-Pierre. Continue straight on until you reach the path that continues from the street. Continue along the path.

(1) Turn right onto the^GRP® Caux Vallée de Seine trail. (^GR® markings). Walk alongside the woodland until you enter it. Make a circular loop to the left and you’ll soon reach a three-way junction.

(2) Turn right onto the path. Leave the^GRP® Caux Vallée de Seine, which continues straight on. The path climbs gradually and reaches a hairpin bend.

(3) Turn left; the path curves in an S-shape and continues to climb. Ignore the path that continues straight ahead. Follow the path as it levels out briefly. The path descends again and takes a hairpin bend. Continue along the path, which gradually curves whilst descending slightly and runs alongside fields on your right, until you reach a junction with a path running perpendicular to it.

(4) Turn right onto the path which climbs and continues to run alongside fields until it reaches a slight incline. At the top, turn left and then immediately right. At the next junction, veer right onto the path.

(5) Before the field, take a sharp left-hand hairpin bend to join the GR® 211.

(6) Turn right onto the GR® 211 and follow it. After the climb, at the junction with the Chemin de l’Ouraille, go straight on to continue along this path. Go downhill; at the bottom, at the crossroads, turn right to reach the slight incline.

(7) Turn right and continue westwards on the GR®. You’ll reach the junction with the Route des Vaux, which also forms part of the^GR®. Continue right along this road until you reach the junction with the path leading into the Forêt du Trait-Maulévrier.

(8) Leave the GR® 211, which continues along the small path, and follow the Route des Vaux to the left; continue left again to pass the gate and take the path that climbs uphill. After the climb and the flat section, take the path that turns to the left and follow the edge of the woodland. Continue straight ahead along the path. When the path descends, follow it to reach the Route des Vaux. Follow the road to the right and carry on to the car park.

(9) Just before the car park, turn left to spot the sign marking the start of the Chemin du Hêtre Serpent, which you should follow. The path climbs steeply in places. Climb up and turn left onto the flat path (signposted ‘Hêtre du Serpent’) to reach the Hêtre Serpent, situated slightly below on the left.

(10) Set off again, following the path straight ahead through the ferns, then turn right onto the path, which is flat at this point. Continue and head down the path. At the junction, turn right. Continue downhill to reach the path below. Turn left onto the path that runs alongside the road below. At the junction, rejoin the^GR®211.

(11) Turn right onto it (note: there are no^GR® markings). Walk down between the embankments (marked by a black dot on a tree in front of you, a Black Cross on a tree to your left and a Black Cross behind you) to come out directly onto the road.

(12) Watch out for traffic here.
Turn left onto the road. Pass the Church of Sainte-Gertrude and immediately turn left into the small street that goes uphill. Ignore the^GR® 211, which branches off to the right. At the blue hiking sign, turn right onto the very steep path leading uphill to reach another path, which you take to the right. Further on, you’ll rejoin the^GRP® Caux Vallée de Seine.

(13) Take it to the right and follow it to reach the main road.
Cross the Caudebec-en-Caux road (D131) and stay on the^GRP® which heads off opposite. Follow it, pass under the high-voltage power line and carry on straight ahead until you reach the road.
Head up the road on the left to reach the junction of^{the GRP®} Caux Vallée de Seine and the^GR® 211A. Ignore the^GR® 211A, which branches off to the right.

(14) Ignore the^GRP® Caux Vallée de Seine, which branches off to the right; continue along the road a little further round the bend and take the^GR® 211A, which branches off to the right. Pass under the high-voltage power line again and carry on until you reach the road.

(15) Turn right onto it and walk through the hamlet of La Haie des Près. The road and the^GR® 211A turn left. Continue to the next junction.

(16) Cross the road and follow the Route du Panage opposite. Ignore the^GR® 211A, which branches off to the right. Continue straight ahead along the road, keeping to the left. Ignore the streets branching off to the right. Carry on until you reach the road to Caudebec-en-Caux.

(17) Cross the Route de Caudebec-en-Caux (D131) and take Rue Saint-Léonard opposite. Walk past the schools and the church to reach the car park at Maulévrier Town Hall (S/E).

Trees block some sections of the path, which you have to step over or go round. There are sections of the path with a steep gradient; these are not very long but are very steep. The path is poorly maintained: tall grass and ferns.

- Maulévrier School.
- Maulévrier Church.
- The Serpent Beech.
- Church of Sainte-Gertrude.