The Balconies of the Sienne

Park in the village hall car park.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the church. From there, take the road on the left towards La Vallée. Follow this road to the Moulin de Sourdeval.

(1) At the mill, take the path over the footbridge and follow it to the end at Le Hamel Guesnier. Continue until you reach the D258.

(2) Turn right onto this road. Before Le Hamel aux Louveaux, turn left onto the road until you come to a path. At the path, turn left onto a track leading to the edge of Hambye Abbey on the D258.

(3) Turn right onto this road and go round the abbey. Pass in front of the abbey inn, turning right onto the main road (D51).

(4) A few metres further on, turn onto a path veering left, forming a “V”, and cross a footbridge. At the junction, turn left towards Le Hamel au Maigre.

(5) Go round the hamlet by turning left as you leave the path, then turn right onto the D51 and right again towards Le Perron and La Haye Comtesse with its cemetery. Once past these, take the first road turning left towards Le Presbytère.

(6) After this hamlet, take the path branching off to the left and, at the first junction, turn right towards L'Épine de la Mare. At the next junction, turn left then right to rejoin the road and follow it to the right for about a hundred metres.

(7) Turn left onto a path that soon splits in two. Take the path on the left. Cross the Ruisseau de la Falaise and continue along the path until you reach the road. Here, turn left towards La Chevalerie.

(8) Turn right onto the road, then take the path on the right to go round La Haute Croûte. Follow this path, ignoring any junctions, until you reach Les Monts.

(9) Turn left and then take the second road on the left towards Dormion. Stay on this road until you reach and pass Le Hamel Soismier.

(10) Once on the D51, turn left and continue until you reach the Place de la Salle des Fêtes (S/E).

Blue signposting.

Difficulty: none.

L'Auberge de l'Abbaye hotel and restaurant in Hambye.
Picnic area opposite the abbey car park and near the tennis courts in Sourdeval-les-Bois.
Public toilets and drinking water point on the square in front of Hambye Town Hall.

Interesting fact
The Atlantic salmon is a migratory fish, with an entirely silvery body marked with small black spots on its flanks. As an adult, it can reach 1.30 metres in length and weigh up to 23 kg. It can be found along the entire main course of the Sienne and in certain tributaries such as the Bérence, which joins the Sienne at Gavray, and the Airou, which joins the Sienne upstream of the Airou de Ver mill.

Virginia tulip trees classified as ‘Remarkable Trees’ within the Abbey grounds.

Route educational along the Sienne at the entrance to the Abbey.

Hambye Abbey
Founded in the^12th century in the Sienne valley, the Abbey was home to Benedictine monks until the eve of the Revolution. Since 1956, the private monastic buildings have been painstakingly restored. Listed as a Historic Monument, Hambye Abbey is one of the most complete medieval monastic complexes in Normandy. It is open to visitors from April until All Saints’ Day.

The surrounding area is designated a “Sensitive Natural Area” by the Department. At the confluence of the Doquette, this Sensitive Natural Area offers several vantage points over the Abbey ruins and the landscape.

The Sourdeval Mill
Every year, its owners open its doors as part of Mill Day, usually held in June. As on other routes, its presence bears witness to the significant use of the river by humans throughout history.

The picturesque village of La Haye Comtesse
This small hamlet was once a separate commune but is now part of Sourdeval-les-Bois. In the churchyard, there is a beautiful yew tree (Taxus baccata). Although feared for its toxicity, the yew is prized for the qualities of its wood (dense, strong, elastic and colourful).