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Park in Abainville, at Place de l’Église or in the car park near the community hall and the cemetery behind the Town Hall.
(S/E) To the left of the church, take Rue Saint-Martin to the crossroads (children’s playground), turn right then left to cross the first bridge, and admire the wash house.
(1) Cross the second bridge and continue along the tarmac path, cross the disused railway line, follow the uphill path for 250 m and reach a crossroads near the Ruisseau des Peux.
(2) Leave the tarmac path and take the dirt track on the left. You will soon reach the Source des Peux (elevation 304), particularly notable for the willow tree overlooking it.
Continue for 500 m to the crossroads at elevation 335.
(3) At the crossroads, there are two options:
- either the park gate on the right is open; take the path into the park and admire the Source de la Chevalière 100 m below, then continue to the D182 (the route). Turn left and walk for 200 m.
- or the park gate is closed; in that case, take the path that climbs to the left up to the D182, which you will follow to the right for 300 m. In this case, it is not possible to visit the Source de la Chevalière.
(4) From the D182, enter the woods and follow the path for 500 m to the corner of a field.
(5) Turn left to descend into the valley, then turn right onto the path that climbs. Continue along this path for approximately 900 m. It is not always clearly marked as it is not shown on the IGN map and, on the ground, it follows the boundary of the municipality.
(6) Turn right, then at the next T-junction, turn left.
(7) At the next T-junction, turn right and continue north-west for about 1.8 km through the forest and then across the fields to the Saint-Jean farm and the D182. Follow this road towards the village.
(8) At the wayside shrine at the Parterre crossroads, continue straight ahead until you reach a lovely rest area on the left.
(9) At the clearing, turn back to return to the wayside shrine at the Parterre crossroads.
(8) Back at the wayside shrine, take the tarmac path to the right. Pass thethird spring and continue. At the next crossroads, cross the small stream, carry on and you’ll come to a Y-junction.
(10) Leave the lovely path and turn right. Enter the woods, then head down to the right into the Son-Fontaine Valley. Make your way to the start of the copse at the very bottom of the valley.
Enter the copse to see the Fontaine du Cave, of which a few traces of the original structure remain.
(11) Then take the path heading north-east, turn left, then right, and then left twice.
(12) Turn right and then right again to follow the path north-east towards the D960. The path leading down into the Bois de la Vigne is poorly marked.
(13) Take the D960 to the left, reaching a new junction at the Lavoir and the Fontaine de Saint-Florentin.
(14) Cross the D960 and turn right onto the Grande Rue, lined with hundred-year-old lime trees, which leads to Bonnet.
Admire the statue of the Virgin Mary on the left near the first houses.
(15) In the centre of the village, see the three fountains: one on the right in a courtyard, the second on the left (a round trip) at the junction of Rue de Ribeaucourt and Rue d’Auvergne, and the third on the right before the magnificent Town Hall.
Continue along the Grande Rue and, whilst you’re there, visit the Church of Saint-Florentin (paintings and the saint’s tomb).
(16) Walk down the Grande Rue, passing a fountain and a wash house. A heritage orchard has been planted behind the wash house.
You’ll reach the D960; follow it for a few metres before turning left off it, then take the path leading uphill on the right. Follow it straight on until you reach the source of the Vau de Mai stream.
(17) Follow the stream valley to the D960. Turn right onto it for 100 m, then take the path on the left for 700 m.
Turn right for 500 m, then left to head down towards another spring that is difficult to spot amongst the plantations.
(18) Continue along this path south-east, then turn right to reach the tarmac “Bonnet-Abainville crossroad” where theGR®714passes.
(19) Turn left, cross the Richecourt stream, and continue along theGR® to return to the original junction.
(20) Continue on to the village of Abainville. Cross the two bridges over the Ornain, and after the second bridge, take the Grande Rue directly opposite, slightly to the left, which leads to the church and our starting point (S/E).
Visorando Member
Easy 
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