The circular pond loop at Fleury-la-Forêt

From Gournay-en-Bray, take the N31-E46 towards La Feuille, turn left onto the D241 then onto the D14E towards Fleury-la-Forêt. Park at Place de l’Église.

(S/E) At the start of the circular route stands the Church of Saint-Denis, on the central square with its remarkable architecture; it is at the heart of community life. With your back to the church, continue to the right towards Place des Tilleuls.

(1) Then cross the junction (Route de la Feuille) and walk across Place des Tilleuls. Continue along the street that runs from the square (Route de la Forêt). Follow it to the end.

(2) Continue straight on along a track, passing to the right of a football pitch. At the next crossroads, head towards the houses of Les Anglées and turn right.

(3) Take the tarmac road (Route des Anglées). Continue straight on at the end of the road, onto the D13, to reach the hamlet of La Boulaie.

(4) At the crossroads in the hamlet, turn right to stay on the D13 (Route de la Feuille) until the first junction.

(5) Take the left-hand turn at the junction towards Écorcherval. Stay on the same road until you reach the Mare du Puits on the left.

(6) Continue along the same road. At the first junction, go straight on along Rue des Fremonts. At the end of the road, turn left onto a track, then rejoin the road and follow it to the right (Route des Hameaux). Pass through the hamlet of Montrouge, then turn left at the end of the street and continue to the first road (Route du Bas Fayel).

(7) Follow this track to the sawmill.

(8) Continue along the road. At the junction, turn right and pass in front of a manor house. Go straight past the first junction. Turn right and continue for 400 m. Turn left onto the track leading towards Fleury-la-Forêt. Ignore a track coming from the right to reach a second junction.

(9) Continue straight on until you reach the next road. Head straight ahead and continue to the end of the road.

(1) Turn left to reach the Place de l'Église (S/E).

(S/E) Saint-Denis-Saint-Brice Church: Dating back to the 12th century and attached to the Abbey of Saint-Denis, from which it takes its name, this church underwent major alterations between the 16th and 18th centuries. All that remains of its original structure is the western part of the nave and the foundations of the walls. We shall focus on the south walls of the church, built in a chequerboard pattern of sandstone and flint. At the foot of the building, a pond bears witness to the vital role of water in agricultural and domestic practices until the mid-20th century.
Used to water livestock, but also to provide water for the inhabitants’ daily tasks, the pond was also used for firefighting at a time when mechanised firefighting equipment had not yet been developed.

(4) La Boulaie: the hamlet of La Boulaie, at the end of the path, is part of Fleury-la-Forêt. Here we find numerous buildings formerly used for agriculture, most of which date from the 18th century.

(6) Mare du Puits: numerous ponds punctuate the walk between the hamlets of La Boulaie, Ecorcheval, Frémont and Le Montrouge. A true ecosystem, these ponds provide a refuge, a habitat and a breeding ground for many animal and plant species. Once widespread, these wetlands are now threatened with extinction. During the 20th century, nearly two-thirds of these ponds disappeared from the French landscape.

(8) The hamlet of Le Fayel: home to numerous apple orchards and a sawmill established on the edge of the Lyons Forest in 1952.