The circular Hirondelles loop starting from Autheuil-Authouillet

Park in the small car park located almost opposite the church in Auteuil-Authouillet, between Rue Yves Montand and Rue du Moulin.

(S/E) Facing the church, stay on the pavement on the other side of the road and walk along it on the left, along Rue Yves Montand (D 836).
Quickly take the Grumels path on the left. At the end of the path, turn left, then go straight on until you reach the crossroads with Rue des Peupliers.

(1) Turn right, cross the old railway line and go under the barrier on the left. Follow the path along the old railway line until you reach the banks of the Eure.

(2) Turn left onto the path and cross the old railway line again. Continue straight ahead until you reach Rue de l'Avenir. Take the street opposite to quickly reach Rue Yves Montand. Cross it and take Chemin de la Haye Giberge opposite.
Continue straight ahead. In the middle of a large meadow, you will come to a T-junction. Take the path on the right and follow it, ignoring the footpath that you will soon see on your right. After a slight descent, the path climbs back up towards the forest. Reach the edge of the forest.

(3) Continue along this path, ignoring the secondary paths, which are often blocked by a chain (private property). At the top of the hill, you will come to a crossroads of forest paths, where the one on the right is blocked (normally).

(4) Continue straight ahead to the hunters' lodge and then on to the Acres farm.

(5) Go around the farm on the right and descend into the valley along the meadow. At the bottom of the valley, turn left towards the houses.

(6) Here you have two options:
- Turn left at the^first street and cross the hamlet of Bout aux Roussels to shorten the walk and avoid the paved streets and roads of Champenard. You will then reach point 9.
- Continue straight ahead (as shown on the map), climbing the hill towards the centre of Sainte-Colombe-près-Vernon. At the top of the hill, go around the war memorial and turn left onto Rue de Champenard. You can cut across the grassy area next to the square.

(7) On the descent, turn left towards the church. You will come to a pleasant picnic area by the water's edge, where there is a pretty wash house on the right. After the church, follow the road that climbs to the left. The climb is a little steep along Rue de Sainte-Colombe. Pass some new houses, then gradually older ones. You will reach the entrance to the village of Champenard.

(8) Turn left onto Rue du Bout aux Roussels. Continue straight ahead and you will soon come to a pond on your left, opposite Rue des Viviers. Continue until you reach the crossroads leading to the hamlet of Bout aux Roussels.

(9) Continue straight ahead, or turn left if you chose the shortcut option, to reach Mare Sausseuse and turn right. Enter the woods and continue along the edge to reach Chemin des Acres. Turn left and continue until you reach the crossroads of the hamlet of Les Acres.

(5) Turn right onto the path you took on the way there to reach the crossroads of the forest paths you also passed on the way there.

(4) Take the path slightly to the right and follow it to the Champenard road. On the road, turn left and then take the long dirt track on the right to find, a few hundred metres further on, the crossroads of a forest path.

(10) Turn left onto this path, enter the Bois de l'Abbé, quickly reach its edge and enjoy a wide panoramic view of the Eure valley.

(11) Turn right onto the path at the edge of the woods and take the path down to the left. You will then reach the D836, Rue Yves Montand. Turn left to return to the car park at the church in Autheuil-Authouillet (S/E).

Please note:
- The road section may seem a little long, especially when hiking in hot weather. That's why I recommend doing it outside of summer, so you can appreciate its charms and diversity without suffering from the sun and heat.
Especially as the winter light, spring flowers and autumn scents make it truly enjoyable.
- I discovered this circular route in the middle of winter and I have fond memories of the sunset over the Eure valley at the end of the route, when you emerge from the Bois L'Abbé forest.
Other highlights include:
- The encounter with a branch of the Eure river, shortly after the start, when you walk along the old railway line at Autheuil-Authouillet.
- The surroundings of the Acres farm and its green valley.
- The pretty Rue de l'Église, with its picnic area by the water and its wash house, in Champenard.
If the tarmac roads of the village of Champenard really don't appeal to you, you can shorten the walk by a good two kilometres by turning left into Rue du Bout aux Roussels as you leave the valley, after the Acres farm, when you arrive in Champenard, but this means you will miss Rue de l'Église, the wash house, the picnic area and its water source.
Good to know: we did this hike on 5 September 2021 with our two children aged 8 and 13, in 3 hours (excluding breaks). Apart from a few complaints about the heat, they enjoyed the walk and found it reasonably difficult.
Finally, I should mention that I discovered this circular hike thanks to the blog Ami chemin: Les randonnées du Glaude. You can visit his page to see the photos he posted in 2016. It is thanks to contributors like him that we are able to discover great hikes for free. I would like to express my warmest thanks to him.