The Saint-Martin fountain

A hike through the hills and valleys around the Saint-Martin fountain.

Details

246736
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.65 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 248 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 251 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 148 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 47 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Courtieux (60350)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.388576° / E 3.088354°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2511E
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available at the village hall square at the intersection of Rue Saint-Augustin and Rue d'Angoulème, opposite the church.

(S/E) When leaving the car park near the calvary, turn right onto Rue Saint-Augustin and walk past the church. Walk up the street for about 200 metres, then turn left after the farm buildings to reach the D814.

(1) Cross the D814 and take Rue du Fond Talon opposite. At the next junction, turn left onto Rue du Chatelet. Walk up to the Chatelet farm, pass in front of it and take the first path on the right (Chemin de la Besace).

(2) At the crossroads, turn right onto the path that descends into the woods (please note that the path is not very well marked for the first 30 metres). 50 metres after leaving the woods, take the first path on the left. At the next intersection, continue straight ahead along the woods, ignoring the path on the right that descends towards the farm. At the next junction (three paths), take the middle path to climb through the woods. On your left, you will see some old quarries. Continue until you reach the plateau.

(3) Take the path on the right and do the same at the next intersection. After about 150 metres on the right, you will arrive at the Saint-Martin fountain.

(4) Head towards the wooden sign indicating that the site is listed; the access path is just behind the sign. Descend to the fountain, then climb back up the same path to rejoin the route on your right and return to the D814.

(5) Take the road on the right, then turn right again at the calvary towards the hamlet of La Gorge (view over the whole valley). At the end of the road, turn right onto Rue du Bourg and follow it to the church. At the church square, turn left onto Rue de l'Abbé Saincir.

(6) At the village exit, take the path that descends to the right at the corner of the farm buildings (this path is not shown on all maps). At the next intersection, turn right, then cross the D814 and continue straight ahead until you rejoin the D814.

(7) Go up the D814 on the left for a few metres, then turn right onto Chemin de Flonval. When you reach Flonval, take the path on the right called Chemin rural de la Vallée à Flonval. Continue to the hamlet of La Vallée.

(8) Turn left onto Route des Croutes. At the first bend, continue straight ahead along Impasse Grande Rue, then along the path that continues uphill. When you reach the road, turn right and then left at the next intersection.

(9) Shortly after the sign for theGR®12E3, Albert Maître trail, take the road on the right. At the first bend, stay on the road and continue left to join the D16.

(10) Take the D16 on your right for about 250 metres, then take the first road on the right. At the end of the road, turn left.

(11) After a road on the left, turn right to descend towards the hamlet of Sailly via the Route de Courtieux. Continue along the road to reach the end of the hamlet, then take the path on the left.

(12) At the crossroads, turn right and head towards the Croix Blanche farm (greenhouses).

(13) Turn right and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 52 m - Place de la Salle des Fêtes
  2. 1 : km 0.5 - alt. 59 m - Cross over and take Rue Fond Talon opposite.
  3. 2 : km 2.08 - alt. 121 m - At the crossroads, turn right.
  4. 3 : km 3.46 - alt. 127 m - Turn right.
  5. 4 : km 4.56 - alt. 133 m - Descend towards the fountain and then climb back up.
  6. 5 : km 6 - alt. 132 m - Turn right.
  7. 6 : km 7.31 - alt. 129 m - Turn right immediately after the farm.
  8. 7 : km 7.96 - alt. 75 m - D814, left then immediately right
  9. 8 : km 9.11 - alt. 68 m - La Vallée, turn left
  10. 9 : km 10.16 - alt. 147 m - Turn right.
  11. 10 : km 11.17 - alt. 148 m - D16, turn right
  12. 11 : km 12.33 - alt. 141 m - (view of) - Right towards Sailly - Aisne (l')
  13. 12 : km 13.96 - alt. 73 m - At the crossroads, turn right.
  14. 13 : km 15.3 - alt. 53 m - La Croix Blanche, turn right.
  15. S/E : km 15.65 - alt. 52 m - Place de la Salle des Fêtes

Notes

The Saint-Martin fountain is a listed site located on private property. However, visits are permitted except on hunting days, and dogs must be kept on a leash. A sign reminds visitors of these rules.

Worth a visit

Courtieux: beautiful church with an ancient tower.

Saint-Martin fountain: fountain forming a limestone concretion that grows over time, with a small basin underneath.

Montigny-Lengrain Church: 12th century, you can enter the courtyard for a view of the entire village.

Hameau de Sailly: descend into the hamlet via a winding road with breathtaking views of the valley.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
thierry jules
thierry jules

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with varied landscapes and charming villages. Don't miss the Saint-Martin fountain, a real geological curiosity.

Machine-translated

GwenolaG
GwenolaG

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike that passes through magnificent villages.

One question: why is it described as difficult?
We are not very experienced hikers, but we found this hike much, much less difficult than another one we did the week before (in Les Andelys, between the Seine and the mountains), which was described as moderate, even though the slope was sometimes 40%, on hillsides, on very narrow paths, and of equivalent duration.

So we wanted to know what the criteria for hiking difficulty were based on. Can you enlighten us?

Machine-translated

Kweerikku95
Kweerikku95

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike completed in 4½ hours with a picnic. Very pleasant. Not recommended for children as it is quite hilly.

Machine-translated

Didier CHATELAIN
Didier CHATELAIN

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very hilly and very pleasant hike for the first two-thirds. A little more ordinary after that. The St Martin fountain is a pleasant surprise!

Machine-translated

Leninnin
Leninnin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike for those who love nature and tranquillity. Between plains, forests, small villages and fields. Don't miss the Saint Martin fountain, a magnificent spot in the middle of the forest. (15 km covered in 3 hours and 25 minutes)
I highly recommend it.

Machine-translated

The user account associated with this content has been deleted.

gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank you, Julien from Trosly
You will certainly enjoy many more wonderful hikes with Visorando. And if for some reason this is not the case, please do not hesitate to let us know why and send us your suggestions for improvement.

Machine-translated

Julien de Trosly
Julien de Trosly

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 14, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hike completed today in 3½ hours. The route description was spot on.
After the storm on the night of Thursday 12 to Friday 13 January, I was worried that some areas might be dangerous. This was not the case. Be careful of the many branches on the paths, but there are no major problems.
This was my second hike chosen on Visorando, and I'm starting to get hooked.
Juliendetrosly

Machine-translated

20-08-1953
20-08-1953

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Very beautiful hike. Beautiful villages. The only downside is that part of the route is on the road.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.