Les sources - The springs

Marked hike N°8.
You will see no less than 8 fountains and 6 wash-houses on this rather easy hike, ideal for family walks. A few picnics spots are available here and there, to take a break and enjoy a relaxing moment (Fountain of the Moon, of the Pisserotte .....) Even though there are some hills along the way, it is a very pleasant walk with a lot of historical heritage spots to be discovered.
Also good for mountain biking.

Technical sheet

28866
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Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.12 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 112 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 114 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 350 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 263 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S) Start from Lainsecq "Champ de Foire" (village square).

Head towards the village of Sougères and 30 meters further you'll come across the fountains of Saint-Martin
(1) Go up towards the village centre, take a left towards Sainpuits. Walk between the church and the old town market hall to reach the church square. Walk downhill about 50 meters and take a left onto the small street called "rue Traversière".

(2) Take a left again and walk along "Rue du Village", at the end of which you will take a right encountering the Fountain au Museau. Carry on for about 200 meters and take a left. At the end of the path, turn right on the little road of la Guirtelle. Just before "Guirtelle d'en bas", you'll notice the "Sugar" Fountain (Fontaine au sucre) hidden at the bottom of a small slope.

(3) Carry on and turn right onto the small path opposite a big house/property. Walk down along the hedge to discover the fountain and the wash-house of La Guirtelle d'en bas on your right.
Go back to the road, head up to the right and at the top of the road take a right. In La Guirtelle Haut hamlet, in between two houses, go down the small path that leads to the fountain and the wash-house of "La Guirtelle Haut". Go back to the road and turn right reaching the "Croix de la Guirtelle" (Cross of the Guirtelle).
Carry on, to the left on "la petite route de Chappe" and about a kilometre further (4) take a left onto the path that goes up in between cultivated fields. You then reach the road going from Lainsecq to Perreuse where you turn right, and then right again heading towards Montreparé. When you reach the village, take a right, after the farm shed the path goes down towards the "Moon" spring (La source de la Lune - fountain and wash-house). Head uphill along the path and turn right to get back to the road heading down towards Chappe.

In the middle of this village, take a left onto "Chemin de la Fontaine de la Pisserotte" (fire hydrant on your left). At the end of the path, after having walked by the pond "Crocs Chevaux" you'll discover the fountain and the wash house "de la Pisserotte".
Head back to the road and take a left, go down for about 400 meters and after the farm hangar (5) take the path on your right. Carry on for about 2 km and when you reach the crossing with a small road take a left. Walk for 100 meters and at the crossroad with the D6 - pay attention to traffic - take the path on the other side. At the next crossroad turn right and discover the fountain and wash-house of Jarloy, also called "du Paradis" (of Paradise).

(6) When you reach the last house on your left, take the path going up towards Lainsecq. At the D6 - again pay attention to cars - turn left getting back to Champ de Foire (village square) where you started from.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 290 m - Place du Champ de Foire
  2. 1 : km 0.27 - alt. 289 m - Saint-Martin fountains
  3. 2 : km 0.72 - alt. 290 m - Take the side street on the left
  4. 3 : km 1.65 - alt. 299 m - Return trip to the source of Guirtelle d'en Bas
  5. 4 : km 3.15 - alt. 306 m - Leave the road to take the path on the left
  6. 5 : km 6.58 - alt. 296 m - Source et lavoir de la Pisserote
  7. 6 : km 7.27 - alt. 289 m - Leave the road and take the path on the right
  8. 7 : km 9.6 - alt. 270 m - Leave the road to take the path on the left
  9. S/E : km 10.12 - alt. 290 m - Place du Champ de Foire

Practical information

The markup is provided by the Association A chacun son chemin en Puisaye-Forterre following the graphical charter of the Community of Communes of Puisaye-Forterre in the way of the description and bears N°8. The presence of the markup, however, requires that you leave at least with this description and the attached IGN map.
In case of problems, thank you for completing this questionnaire (1 to 2 minutes only).

In the nearby area

To be visited close by, the villages of Perreuse, Treigny, St Sauveur bursting with numerous paths and many wonderful sites.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
lamome59
lamome59

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Many passages were not maintained, a shame, lots of brambles and nettles, otherwise it's great.

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benoit58
benoit58

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Avoid walking in full sun, as there is little shade. These are roofless wash-houses, unlike in the Nièvre. Some fine viewpoints, no villages or hamlets of particular architectural interest. Agricultural environment, few forests. Could be done again in a few years, but not a benchmark walk. 12/20.

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Wanderung89
Wanderung89

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 pleasant walk when the weather is not too hot. It gives you a chance to discover the layout of these springs and fountains, which were certainly unknown to many of the region's inhabitants.
Unfortunately, there was hardly any water left in the various places we visited.
It is to be hoped that the municipality or an association will contribute to the upkeep of these sites.

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pernes.noelle
pernes.noelle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It was a lovely walk, one of the most beautiful in the region: springs and wash-houses, charming hamlets crossed under a bright Easter sky, colza fields in flower - it was all a delight!

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jp58
jp58

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Beautiful washhouses and fountains

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TrèflàCath
TrèflàCath

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hello!
We had a guided tour with commentary. Frost and bright sunshine, very beautiful.
I live nearby and I've been back, getting to grips with the trails.
I love the springs and fountains

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remi2000
remi2000

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

very nice hike, very well signposted and, above all, all the fountains and wash-houses very well signposted well done to the signposters

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henri57
henri57 ★

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.

( I've understood that we shouldn't talk about it here, but the signposting is really great )

You have every right to give your opinion.... including on the markup.

For your information:

Visorando doesn't recommend waymarking because it can be modified or deleted... whereas the indications on the terrain are stable information.
BUT waymarking is often included in the description when it exists in the field.

A+

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LULU ET LAULAU
LULU ET LAULAU

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I'm just discovering hiking as I've only been active for a short time and Visorando is really good and more specifically the hike in question here is good for all levels (I understood that we shouldn't talk about it here but the signposting is really top notch).

thank you

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randoPuIsAyE
randoPuIsAyE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you for your choice of themed walks, which delighted us!

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Randoclo89
Randoclo89

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Well-marked walk, interesting for the springs and wash-houses, to be repeated in Spring or Autumn on a day when it is not too windy or sunny, as the hedges have been removed in this region, some of which are in the process of being re-planted.

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POULIN Gérard
POULIN Gérard ★

Hello Bernard 10,
Thank you for your feedback. I note that you appreciated the waymarking, and we'll be in touch with the local volunteer waymarkers who did the work. As far as the replacement of torn tags is concerned (there are very few on the 300km signposted in this way), maintenance will be carried out shortly.
You talk about a treasure hunt, well, yes, the term is not superfluous, and geo-cachers as well as hikers and mountain bikers have a great time in this region of Puisaye-Forterre.

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Bernard 10
Bernard 10

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful walk that could be compared or likened to a treasure hunt. Find the springs and fountains. Perfect signposting. No difficulties.
For information, it seems that a yellow sign has disappeared at the crossroads before Montreparé farm, leaving the grassy path. (The sign had been torn off and was lying on the ground).
Thanks to the person who suggested it.

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flovillatte
flovillatte

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A nice walk, a lot of it across fields... A very clear view of the countryside.
Highlight: the fountain and washhouse at La Pisserotte, a very welcome stop on a very hot day.
Another highlight is the abundance of delicious blackberries in the hedgerows (early September).
The springs... a beautiful heritage.

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pitiflo
pitiflo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Nice walk, with a slightly forgotten heritage (I live in the area and have discovered lots of sites...) bucolic landscape in this month of April.

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