The Moulin du Fay

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

Technical sheet

n°1080161
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.00 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 250 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 253 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 259 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 76 m
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Photos

Lama
Ivy wall
In a bed of greenery
The magic of stones

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

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 230 m - Cauville Town Hall car park
  2. 1 : km 1.3 - alt. 257 m - Crossroads of the loop
  3. 2 : km 2.02 - alt. 240 m - Crossing the road (Guilberdières farm)
  4. 3 : km 3.16 - alt. 182 m - Crossing the D211
  5. 4 : km 4.19 - alt. 119 m - Descent to the right
  6. 5 : km 4.73 - alt. 141 m - On the right, along the hedge
  7. 6 : km 5.25 - alt. 162 m - Junction D211
  8. 7 : km 6.44 - alt. 82 m - Crossing the Herbion stream
  9. 8 : km 8.49 - alt. 208 m - D166a on the right
  10. 9 : km 8.93 - alt. 219 m - Dirt track on the left
  11. S/E : km 11 - alt. 230 m - Cauville Town Hall car park

Practical information

At the bottom of (2) picnic tables.

Don't forget your sticks.

In the nearby area

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

4.6 / 5
Based on 20 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
evelynebor
evelynebor

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
Pjb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
Régis14

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
Apetitspas

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
eljoouri

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

a general view of Swiss Normandy.

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BCCC
BCCC

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
Conqué

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
BellesPortes111

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
DelamareCaen

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
atkinson

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

enjoy your hike

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Xavier1944
Xavier1944

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
facala
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : 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
zumba

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : 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
MIMILE59

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : 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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noire nuit
noire nuit

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

a very pleasant walk, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves of the magnificent oak and chestnut trees.
A clean village in the Normandy countryside.

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