The Path Along the Water

The route starts from Place de l’Église Saint-Firmin.
(S/E) Take Rue de la Suchette. Walk for about 200 m and turn onto the path on the right, known in the village as ‘Le chemin des chèvres’. A steep climb leads to a junction.

(1) Then take the path that goes straight ahead, leaving the hamlet of Dominon on your left. Continue straight on until you reach the road on your right. Walk for about 400 metres, keeping to the right-hand verge, until you find a path crossing the fields on your left.

(2) Cross the road carefully to follow this path and reach the hamlet of Les Marandes. Before the road, turn immediately right onto a shaded path and follow it to the hamlet of Moulin Gros Bois.

(3) At the road, turn right and then, shortly afterwards, take a path branching off to the left. You will come to a cross path.

(4) Follow this path to the right; it runs alongside a fairly damp area on your left. You will reach a crossroads with four paths. Turn left downhill and across open ground to the hamlet of Les Méris.

(5) Turn right and stay on the D251 for about 300 metres. After a road on the left, a path through coppice wood opens up, still on the left. Take this path; it descends and crosses a stream via a ford. Then, a narrow track begins, crossing the woods and overlooking the Vallée de la Noue to reach a hairpin junction.

(6) Turn left onto the path that climbs (it almost feels like you’re turning back). Follow the path to the road and continue along the path opposite (EDF transformer on the right).

(7) Leave this path at the fork leading to Métairie Piot and take the dirt track opposite, which is partly lined with trees. You’ll reach the road at a place called La Tuilerie d’Angelier.

(8) Take the road on the left. Pass the street on the left leading to Les Miraux and Le Petit Angelier. You will soon reach a junction with a sign on the left for the Étang d’Angelier.

(9) A 500-metre round trip takes you to this pond and a pleasant picnic area. Continue along this gently ascending road. At the T-junction, turn right and continue for about 200 m. At the next T-junction, turn left. Go straight past the track leading to Moulin Bléneau. Also ignore the track leading up to Les Cordes by going straight on.

(10) At the four-way junction, turn right towards Les Pasquiers. Cross the Malaise via the road bridge and climb up to the level of a house. Take the path on the left. You’ll come to a ford.

(11) Cross it via the stone footbridge, pass the few houses at Les Forges and follow the road on the left which climbs up to the junction. Cross with care to head towards Les Marandes for about a hundred metres and find the start of a path on the right. Take this path uphill to reach a road.

(12) Just before this road, turn right onto a hard-packed track. Reach the D114. Cross it carefully and take the track opposite. At the crossroads, turn right; the track ends in a path. As you pass, note the lovely view over the village of Dampierre.

(1) Head right and walk downhill to the first houses of Dampierre-sous-Bouhy. At the road, turn left; the view of the church will accompany you on your return journey (S/E).

This route features some elevation changes, shortly after the start and after the (13). In the event of heavy rain, mud may be present on certain sections; please wear appropriate footwear.
For car parks:

• Place de l'Église (only a few spaces)
• If you take Rue de la Croix Bernot on the right at the foot of the fire station, there are more parking spaces.

Please note that some paths are quite muddy as the soil is clayey and therefore impermeable; water does not drain away. Furthermore, water flows from a multitude of small springs.
The water from these springs is not fit for human consumption.
Possible alternatives:
No. 1 – At (3), turn left and join the (10) (Distance of the route in this case: 6.2 km.
No. 2 – At (5), turn left and rejoin the return route by following the route description after (9) (Distance in this case: 9.3 km.

This marked route, following the marking guidelines of the Puisaye-Forterre Community of Communes, is marked with No. 45 on yellow-backed signs.
The signposting was carried out by the association À chacun son chemin en Puisaye-Forterre in January 2022.
If you encounter any issues, please complete this questionnaire (it only takes 1 to 2 minutes).
Take care when crossing roads.
However, the fact that the route is signposted means you must set off with at least this description and the accompanying IGN map and/or the Visorando app.

In the village of Dampierre-sous-Bouhy
The wash house: a place where, in the past, washerwomen would come twice a year to wash the whole family’s laundry. It was a festive occasion where all the women of the village would gather to socialise. The laundry was washed in a series of stages, which you can discover on the display created by the school class near the wash house.
Saint-Firmin Church: a Gothic church in the Flamboyant style, it features a 15th–16th-century portal, a nave and a sacristy with a rib-vaulted ceiling, as well as large windows at the chancel end.
Nearby:
Blot Mill in Bouhy.
Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye:
Sandstone Museum, Maison de la Mémoire Potière, and numerous craftspeople and potters.