The Bois de La Rochette and the Parc de l'Abbaye du Lys

Park in the car park opposite 15 Rue de la Forêt in La Rochette.

(S/E) Start the walk by taking the Passage du Clocher (pedestrian street) opposite the car park, to the right of No. 15, behind the tubular barriers. Continue along Impasse du Clocher, then Avenue Jean Cocteau after crossing Rue de la Forêt, and arrive at the next crossroads with Allée Royale. On the right, you can see the Château de la Rochette in the distance. Take the lane opposite the château, then the^first path on the right after the house. At the next crossroads, take the path on the left, heading north-west, then straight ahead. Continue along the road until you see the passage through the wall on the right, which will take you to Avenue du Général Leclerc (D606, formerly N6).

(1) Cross at the green light (use the button). Continue straight ahead on Avenue de la Rochette, using the pedestrian/cycle path on the right. After passing Route des Charbonniers (on the right), use the pedestrian crossing to cross to the left and enter the forest via the large lane. At^{the first} crossroads, take the^first right to return to Avenue de la Rochette. Towards the end, turn right and cross again at the pedestrian crossing, then turn left towards Dammarie. You will see the Château de Mun on your right, which will also be visible at the next roundabout, at the end of Avenue de la Rochette.

(2) Cross Avenue Émile Zola and take Rue Pierre Curie opposite. Follow it on the left, then continue along Avenue du Maréchal Foch on the left. Take the^first left onto Rue Jean-Baptiste Colbert, then the^first right to go around the church. Take the inconspicuous passage on the right (in the left-hand bend) to pass between the church and the Espace Nino Ferrer. Turn right and you will reach the entrance to the church (often open to visitors).

(3) Continue, cross Avenue du Maréchal Foch and take Rue Charles de Gaulle opposite. Just after the group of shops, you will see the entrance gate to the town hall on your right. Go through the gate on the right, then go around the town hall on the right. Cross Rue du Colonel Beltrame, walk along the kindergarten and turn left in front of the Résidence du Parc de la Mairie until you reach Rue du Bas Moulin. Cross and turn right, then left into the^second entrance to Parc de l'Abbaye du Lys. Continue towards the centre of the park, then turn right to arrive in front of the ruins of the abbey.

(4) Continue towards the Didier Lockwood Music School. Make a half-turn to the left to find and follow the central path that crosses the park towards the south-west. Pass to the left of a car park, then between two buildings and continue straight ahead. Cross Rue du Lieutenant Moisant, then follow it to the left. After the buildings on the right, turn right behind the barrier and enter the park. Go to the pond and follow the stream downhill (west) near Avenue du Lys.

(5) Do not leave the park but go up to the left towards the south, following the edge of the park. At the end, at the top, cross Rue du Capitaine Bernard de Poret. Go straight ahead behind the barrier, then left behind the houses. Immediately turn right (about 35 m), then continue south until you reach Rue de la Source, which you should take on the left. Three houses further on, take the passage on the right and join Rue Adrien Châtelain. Follow it to the left. At No. 97 Rue A. Châtelain, you will find the Polish church. At the end of the street, continue straight ahead to enter the Parc du Château Soubiran.

(6) Enter the park before turning right to go around it in an anti-clockwise direction. At the far left, you will see the deer and emu enclosure. Then go down the opposite side of the entrance. At the bottom, before the castle, turn left to walk around the pond clockwise to see the birds, then head towards the front of the castle. Leave the park to arrive on Avenue Henri Barbusse.

(7) Follow the avenue to the right. At^{the first} crossroads, turn left onto Rue Sadi Carnot. Follow it to the end to cross Avenue Marcellin Berthelot. Just to the left of the signpost indicating the name of the street, enter the forest via the barely visible path. Cross the^first crossroads, then follow the path that turns right. Continue straight ahead until you reach the fence in front of the houses, with access to Impasse on the right. (Do not go there).

(8) Take the path on the left and continue until you reach Rue Charles Péguy / Romain Rolland. Cross it, enter the woods and immediately turn left. Follow the path that turns right, then cross a crossroads. At the next crossroads, take the^second right and join Route des Charbonniers (forest path).

(9) Cross Route des Charbonniers, take^{the second} left and continue straight ahead until you leave the woods. Cross Avenue du Général Leclerc (be careful - you may need to cross in two stages) and enter La Petite Rochette and its equestrian centre. Follow Rue de l'Église until you reach Place de l'Église with Le Rocheton opposite.

(10) Turn left onto Rue de la Forêt. Pass the beautiful red house and return to the car park at the start (S/E).

A compass, even a basic one, is always useful for the few off-road passages.

(S/E) Arrival at Allée Royale: on the right is the Château de la Rochette. We are actually in its former grounds, on the access road. It was inaugurated in 1777 by Benjamin Franklin, who installed one of^{the first} lightning rods there. It became the property of the French Ministry of Education, which left it to fall into disrepair. The result: squatters, looting, damage and fire. The town hall managed to have it bought in 2017 by a property company specialising in the renovation of prestigious residences to convert them into luxury apartments. The work was due to be completed in 2022-2023.

(2) Château de Mun. In 1966, Geneviève-Marie Gontault-Biron, widow of the Marquis de Mun, donated it to the municipality, which sold it in 1981. Since then, the park has been turned into a housing estate.

(4) Ruins of the Royal Abbey of Lys: these are the ruins of the Cistercian abbey founded by Queen Blanche of Castile (mother of King Louis IX of France). The ruins of the abbey church, listed as a historic monument in 1934, and the surrounding gardens and park remain.
- The Didier Lockwood Music Centre: This is the former "guest pavilion" of the abbey. It was the castle of Victor de Faÿ de Latour-Maubourg, also known as the Château du Lys. Didier Lockwood, a renowned French violinist, had his school here. He also organised a music festival in Dammarie. He died in 2018.

(5) At No. 97 Rue A. Châtelain, the Polish church.

(6) The Château Soubiran dates from the 19th century and is surrounded by a 7-hectare park with a children's farm where you can see many animals. The park has a pond fed by the "Le Téton" spring, which originates in the Forest of Fontainebleau.

(8) On the right is the former SNECMA works council leisure centre. Now only partially occupied, it was used for other activities such as meetings and training courses. It has just been bought by the local council. I hope it can be used as before. This is unlikely, however, as part of it is to be converted into a nursery and primary school

(9) Just after crossing the D606 (formerly the N6): La Petite Rochette: located on the edge of the national road, at the entrance to the village, this property has been home to a riding school for fifty years.
This beautiful white stone residence, almost a castle, with its simple neoclassical décor, was built in 1890. Stables already existed at the rear, and in 1950, the occupant set up the Duguesclin Equestrian Centre there.

The Church of Notre-Dame de la Visitation is the oldest building in the commune. Built at the end of the 13th century, this Gothic-style church suffered greatly during the Wars of Religion and was extensively remodelled in the 19th century and restored in recent years.
- Opposite is Le Rocheton. Originally a castle with grounds and outbuildings, it was used for a variety of purposes after the war, but always as a reception and training centre. It is now an international tourist and educational centre offering, for example, BAFA training courses

(S/E) La Maison Raulin, whose original architecture contrasts with the old 19th-century Briard houses. On the top floor of the tower, a large bay window occupies almost the entire north wall. It used to light an architecture and painting studio. It was built in the 18th century by Gustave Raulin, architect of the City of Paris.