The Val Roy

Ouffières welcomes you to a large square beautifully decorated with flowers. You can then set off to discover magnificent stone houses before following the Orne River as it winds its way through the Swiss Normandy.

Details

714248
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.99 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 160 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 155 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 163 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 18 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park near the Ouffières cemetery.

(S/E) Head towards the town hall, south of the village, then take the road opposite the town hall, heading west, for 350 metres.

(1) At the intersection, take the path on the left. Cross a stream. Further on, continue on the paved path on the right. At the crossroads, take the road on the left to cross the village of Cropton.

(2) Shortly after leaving the village, take the road on the left and, at the fork about 200 metres further on, continue left along the stream.

(3) At the end of the road, take the D212 road on the left for 150 metres (be careful), then, in the bend, take the path on the right that runs alongside the stream.

(4) At the end of the road, facing the Orne, turn left and follow the Orne to Val Roy.

(5) Before the fire reserve, at a place called Le Val Roy, turn right. Continue along this road until you reach the village of Le Bosq d'Aulne.

(6) At the intersection, take the road on the right until you reach the main road. Then continue right on this road for 500 metres.

(7) In the village of Les Bontards, take the road on the left (opposite the dam) to join the D212.

(8) Take the road on the right for 150 metres. Turn left onto the small road (Rue de l'Acacia) for 150 metres, and in the bend, take the path opposite. Very wet in winter, it is possible to bypass this path via the village of Goupillières.

(9) At the end of the path, take the small road on the left (D139) for 200 metres and continue on the D213 on the left. Take the first path on the left for 800 metres.

(10) At the intersection, take the small road on the left to reach the church and cemetery of Ouffières (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 121 m - Car park near the cemetery
  2. 1 : km 0.42 - alt. 130 m - Path on the left
  3. 2 : km 1.85 - alt. 109 m - Take the road on the left after Cropton
  4. 3 : km 3.23 - alt. 42 m - D212 on the left
  5. 4 : km 4.01 - alt. 19 m - On the left, along the Orne - Orne (fleuve)
  6. 5 : km 4.88 - alt. 28 m - The Val Roy
  7. 6 : km 5.64 - alt. 35 m - Path on the right
  8. 7 : km 6.53 - alt. 21 m - Path on the left, opposite the dam
  9. 8 : km 7.49 - alt. 112 m - D212 on the right
  10. 9 : km 8.45 - alt. 157 m - Take the road on the left, then left again
  11. 10 : km 9.7 - alt. 131 m - Path on the left
  12. S/E : km 9.99 - alt. 120 m - Car park near the cemetery

Worth a visit

(S/E) Ouffières. The history of the village of Ouffières, which has nearly 200 inhabitants, dates back to the 11th century. It was mentioned as early as 1096 in the charter of union of the Saint-Vigor priory, written at the time by the Bishop of Bayeux.
Ulfieris comes from the Saxon root "Ulf" or "Ouf" meaning wolf and is synonymous with Louvière, a wolf trap or the home of a person named Loup or Ulf.
On a farm in the village, remarkable buildings date back to the time of Joan of Arc. The schist and puddingstone rubble walls are typical of the region. The slate roofs come from one of the many slate quarries in the Orne valley

(1) Church of Saint-Mathieu and Saint-Lô. Successive phases of construction make it difficult to date precisely when this monument was first built, although it does feature remains of what is likely to be early Romanesque architecture.
The nave and tower date from after the 16th century. In 1870, the choir, which was falling into ruin, was completely rebuilt. The church, originally dedicated to Saint Vigor, was renamed.

(4) The Orne river lies at our feet.

(7) On the right is the Pont de Brie dam.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 35 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
jean.grandin@bbox.fr
jean.grandin@bbox.fr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route, best avoided during very wet weather.
The return trip from Orne to Ouffières is a long but manageable climb.

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JPLNorm
JPLNorm

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, shaded walk.
Some interesting views of the Orne valley.
A few gaps in the signposting towards the end, but nothing serious.

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jeangazon
jeangazon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent!

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Randoserge
Randoserge
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route with the small villages of Ouffières and Curcy sur Orne, very little road.
Easy route to follow.

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BOUIS
BOUIS

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with little paved road and moderate elevation gain. Its length is ideal for average walkers.

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Faff
Faff

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An interesting approach to the Orne Valley. Please note that there is no path up the wooded embankment above the Thury Harcourt lake. Cross the safety barrier with caution once you reach the road.

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BellesPortes111
BellesPortes111

Thank you for participating. We also need to stop for a snack at the bridge bar in Brie.
See you soon on the trails.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, ideal for getting some fresh air and exercise. However, it is best to be in good physical condition, as the climb up the Orne towards Goupillières and then on to Ouffières, although not technically demanding, is relatively long (about 2 km) and can be difficult if you are feeling slightly tired.

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Vivrenature19
Vivrenature19

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike along wooded paths, surrounded by peaceful tranquillity. I think this trail is best enjoyed outside of the rainy season. An absolute delight!

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christian 14
christian 14

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this trail on 27 June 2021.
It was superb, with the undergrowth, streams and tranquillity, and I only came across one other rider.
A beautiful descent to reach the Orne: be careful with the humidity, it's slippery.
And be patient on the way back up.
In conclusion, a very beautiful and refreshing hike.

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Ma Mich
Ma Mich

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike along flower-filled sunken paths, where white wood anemones rub shoulders with blue hyacinths, not to mention deep purple orchids, buttercups and broom...

The walk is accompanied by birdsong, and the path along the Orne river adds an extra dimension of pleasure.

We also saw a bird fishing on the Orne (a great cormorant?)

Highly recommended

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ESPOIR
ESPOIR

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is clearly marked with yellow signs

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rebeyrolle
rebeyrolle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A delightful discovery at the beginning of spring, very bucolic.

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Titine12
Titine12

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike. At this time of year and given the weather over the last few days, the trail was very wet. We did a lot of splashing around in the mud and small streams that had flooded the paths, but with good waterproof hiking boots, we had a lot of fun. We love getting muddy. however, at point 10, instead of taking the path on the left, we continued straight ahead to bypass it and rejoin the road, as it was much too flooded and impassable. Thank you for a great time. We'll do this route again when the weather is nice, with a picnic by the Orne river.... Oh, for your information, it took us 2½ hours.

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MIMILE59
MIMILE59

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike along the Orne River

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