The Esley Old Ponds Trail

Head to the Esley stadium car park.

(S/E) Take the road towards Esley. After 80 metres, turn left towards Thuilières. Follow the roadside for 300 metres and enter the woods on your left.

(1) Walk for about 1 km until you reach the first pond.

(2) Continue along the path for about 1.5 km until you reach the stony track.

(3) Walk for 300 metres, turn onto the woodland path, keep to the right and then turn left towards a small wooden jetty.

.(4) You will then reach the second pond, the Étang des Limaçons; walk along its left-hand side, following the path and the signposts. Carry on until you reach the old Queveney quarry.

(5) Then continue along the path (be careful, it’s a bit marshy), which will take you to the other side of the pond and on to the picnic area.

(6) Then head back towards the forest track and turn right towards La Borne de France.

(7) Then turn back towards the forest track and carry on to the right, retracing the 300 m of the path you took on the way there.

(3) Turn right onto the stony path heading due north. Pass to the right of the first pond, then the sports ground, and arrive at the stadium car park (S/E).

You can take shelter and have a break at the Étang des Limaçons (a rest area with a shelter and picnic tables).

Along the route, you’ll see old stone boundary markers, an ancient Gallo-Roman quarry and an old ‘Borne de France’ marker, all of which trace the region’s history.