The Moulin du Fay

Swiss Normandy: valleys, springs, streams, fir trees, small villages – everything you need to have a great day out and come home tired.

Details

n°1080161

Creation:
17 Apr 2018

Last update:
08 Sep 2025

Last review:
09 Mar 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 11.00 km
Average duration: 3h 50
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 250 m
Descent: - 253 m
Highest point: 259 m
Lowest point: 76 m

Country: France
Area: Suisse Normande
District: Cauville (14770)
Start/End: N 48.947404° / W 0.572254°
IGN map(s): Ref. 1513SB, 1514SB
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Description of the walk

Departure from the car park of the Cauville Town Hall.

(S/E) Turn left, then take the dead-end road on the right for 500 metres. Pass the first road on the left and you will arrive at a crossroads.

(1) After the hedge, turn left onto the path and follow it for 1 km to reach the road leading to the Guilberdières farm.

(2) Cross this road and take the path opposite to the picnic area at Tresnay. Continue right on this road for 500 metres.

(3) Cross the D211 towards the village of Mélogis. At the edge of the village, turn right onto a small road which continues as a path after the hamlet of La Tuaudière.

(4) Go downhill and take a path on the right. Cross a stream and go uphill towards the village of Carcanet.

(5) At the entrance to the village, after the first building, turn slightly right onto the path that runs along the hedge for 50 metres. Then continue on this path to the right, which climbs back up towards the village of La Trufaudière. At the end of the path, cross the village via the small road on the left and join the D211.

(6) At the stop sign, turn left, then take the first path on the right opposite the small road that leads to the village of Carcanet. Follow this path to the Herbion stream and walk along it for 500 metres.

(7) Cross the stream, ignore the path on the left and continue along a fairly steep sunken path for 300 metres. Continue climbing on the left. After 500 metres, take a wide path on the right.

(8) At the end of the path, take the D166a on the right for 100 metres. Turn right and take the dead-end road. At the intersection, continue along the small road on the left for 200 metres.

(9) Take the dirt track on the left and continue along the track on the right until you reach the fir tree plantation.

(1) Before the fir tree plantation, turn left along the hedge until you reach the intersection. At the end of the path, continue straight ahead on the small road that leads to the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 230 m - Cauville Town Hall car park
1 : km 1.3 - alt. 257 m - Crossroads of the loop
2 : km 2.02 - alt. 240 m - Crossing the road (Guilberdières farm)
3 : km 3.16 - alt. 182 m - Crossing the D211
4 : km 4.19 - alt. 119 m - Descent to the right
5 : km 4.73 - alt. 141 m - On the right, along the hedge
6 : km 5.25 - alt. 162 m - Junction D211
7 : km 6.44 - alt. 82 m - Crossing the Herbion stream
8 : km 8.49 - alt. 208 m - D166a on the right
9 : km 8.93 - alt. 219 m - Dirt track on the left
S/E : km 11 - alt. 230 m - Cauville Town Hall car park

Notes

At the bottom of (2) picnic tables.

Don't forget your sticks.

Worth a visit

La Mogisière isa family hamlet that has undergone significant development over time. It even managed to surpass the village in importance. In 1829, there were twenty-eight habitable houses, which could have accommodated a population of around a hundred inhabitants.
With the decline of rural crafts, many houses were converted into cellars, stables or other buildings.

Cauville:the hamlets and localities of Cauville can be divided into two categories: the period in which they were created and the meaning of their names.
Here are a few examples:
Le Fay, in Old French, means "beech tree".
La Dairy Farm is an offshoot of the Montgaultier seigneury: a sharecropping farm.
La Planche, a village bordering Saint-Lambert, owes its name to the old wooden bridge over the Hamelet stream.
La Fresnée, a very common hamlet name, is always located on the edge of a valley where ash trees grow. A noble fief developed there in the Middle Ages.
As for villages named after their founders, the earliest examples date back to the 12th century. Later, two family farms appeared: Maison Harivel and Lieu Cornu. The first was founded by the Harivel des Mézières family, who held the title of Sieur de la Mogisière, among others.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5

Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5

Route interest
4.7 / 5

seullines

09 Mar 2026 at 08:39 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Excellent route, perfectly signposted
Very beautiful scenery
Worth repeating in summer and especially in autumn

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evelynebor

08 Sep 2025 at 17:45 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and easy-to-follow route. However, we didn't see the ruins of the mill...
Beautiful horses and even llamas to see along the way. Thank you for helping us discover these beautiful landscapes.

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Pjb

28 Oct 2024 at 09:31 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful hikes in the area, thanks to its variety and views of the surrounding region and valleys. Lots of very pleasant dirt tracks, sometimes a little wet in mid-October (bring appropriate footwear). An ideal route in case of fog in the valleys, as you are above them..

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Régis14

28 Aug 2023 at 09:56 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful hike, mainly on paths and through wooded areas.
it is easy and takes about 2½ hours, taking in the scenery.
you can enjoy views of the surrounding valleys.
(To get to the starting point, park in front of the signpost indicating the name of the hike.
Le Moulin du Fay is at the intersection of Rue de la Forge and Rue de la Mairie, 150 metres from the town hall.

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Apetitspas

28 May 2023 at 18:03 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A must-do!
a very beautiful route with few paved sections, and the part marked as difficult was not difficult at all!
The only slight downside was the start; there is a car park in the courtyard of the town hall, which must have been built recently, which changes the description, in my opinion, especially as we had no signposts....

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eljoouri

04 Jul 2022 at 10:30 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

a general view of Swiss Normandy.

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BCCC

04 Apr 2022 at 20:13 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route
At the Fay mill, which is in ruins, you should take a short break and admire this site with no running water or electricity. It's a bit wild. Beautiful views.
Worth doing

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Conqué

26 Feb 2022 at 21:48 3600

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very pretty route, with a few sections that are a little tricky in wet weather (which is rare in Normandy).
Unfortunately, one path is no longer passable (and a simple pair of secateurs won't be enough ). It's a shame, but this walk is still well worth doing...

Thank you for this route!

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BellesPortes111

22 May 2021 at 10:51 7200

Thanks for the info. Your suggestion is spot on, but we still need to figure out what to do about the brambles. I always carry pruning shears in my bag, and I often tidy up, which not everyone does.
Have a good day.

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DelamareCaen

21 May 2021 at 10:03 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello readers,
a beautiful hike, wide open spaces, beautiful views of the wooded ridges.
At point 5, the path that branches off to the right is no longer passable because it is full of brambles, so I went straight along the road to point 156, where point 6 could be placed.
Best regards
B. Delamare

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atkinson

08 Feb 2021 at 11:20 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

enjoy your hike

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Xavier1944

06 Feb 2021 at 18:03 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route was short for us walkers. The hike took place in winter: muddy, dry or wet paths, due to the previous day's rain.
In summer, it must be even more pleasant, especially as the paths are often shaded.
Once, the path at Carcanet was closed and unmarked, so we had to take a small detour, fortunately.
We didn't see the Fay mill or the menhir, even though they were marked on the map.
Parking at the entrance to the path in Cauville, in front of the sign describing the walk.

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facala

26 Jan 2021 at 19:01 3600 • Edited: 26 Jan 2021 at 19:02 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a shame that the path before Carcaney hasn't been reopened. I don't think it would take much to reopen it, otherwise it's a magnificent hike that I would recommend

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zumba

20 Jul 2020 at 10:05 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It is impossible to park your vehicle at Cauville Town Hall, so it is best to park in front of the boules court, which is also where the trail starts (marked by a sign). The walk was very pleasant, with lots of shaded paths and beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. At point 2, we had a picnic with two friendly hikers, who were almost the only people we met on the trail.

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MIMILE59

08 Jul 2020 at 10:47 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, peaceful walk, sometimes through the countryside, sometimes through the forest, with the surprise of finding a resident at the old mill
a resident in the middle of nowhere (a true hermit)
the only downside was the impassable (unmaintained) path at Carcanet, forcing a pleasant detour through the hamlet

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Author

BellesPortes111
23 Walks

Visorando member

District: Hérouville-Saint-Clair (14200)

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