Moutiers en Puisaye and its ponds

From this old pottery village, discover the ponds and small paths that make Puisaye so charming. If you are keen on wildlife or landscape photography, you will be delighted. If you are discreet, you will be able to see many varieties of ducks on the ponds, as well as herons and egrets. Sometimes you may be surprised by the passage of deer or roe deer and even nutria along the Loing.

Details

23023
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.15 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 120 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 118 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 288 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 211 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) Start from the village town hall square and take the small road heading west. At the first crossroads, at the stop sign, turn right and cross the Loing river for the first time. When you reach the main road (D85), cross it by turning right, then immediately after the level crossing, turn left and continue for 200 metres.

(1) Take the small path on the left that goes down into the woods. When you reach the railway line, turn right, cross the bridge and then turn right onto the path that runs alongside the pond.

(2) When you reach the dyke, take the road on the right. At the end of the dyke, leave the Moutiers pond behind you and turn left onto the small tarmac road for 1 km. Take the path on the left and go downhill to reach the river (the Loing).

(3) Cross over a tiny bridge. The ford is only passable on foot a few days a year. Climb up to the hamlet of Les Petits Clergeaux and continue along a small tarmac road.

(4) You will cross the D85 again and head towards the hamlet of Les Gauthiers, which you will cross, going around the houses and gardens, and descend to the left after the small pond, continuing along the path.

(5) 300 metres after this pond, take the path on the right and, when you reach the crossroads, turn left and you will arrive at the Charmoy pond. Continue along the road, passing over the dyke and then up the hill before the houses in the woods, take the path on the left and then take the small tarmac road and follow it to return to the starting point.

(6) You will cross a road with fairly heavy traffic, so be careful. When you reach the village of Moutiers, take the street on the right, then the next one on the left to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 226 m - Fontaine du moine Glaber
  2. 1 : km 1.12 - alt. 229 m - Turn left onto the small path through the woods.
  3. 2 : km 2.55 - alt. 222 m - Arrival at the Moutiers pond dyke - Etang de Moutiers en Puisaye
  4. 3 : km 3.71 - alt. 211 m - Loing (le)
  5. 4 : km 4.66 - alt. 274 m - Crossing the road
  6. 5 : km 5.35 - alt. 237 m - Change of direction
  7. 6 : km 9.53 - alt. 287 m - Crossing the road
  8. S/E : km 11.15 - alt. 226 m - Eglise Saint-Pierre de Moutiers-en-Puisaye

Notes

Do not follow any signposts along this route. The signposts you encounter are for other routes.
Bring a water bottle in very hot weather, good shoes (some sections are difficult due to mud in places), a pair of binoculars and a camera.

Worth a visit

The church and its murals,

When you reach the point (2) on the dyke, you will see the pond on your right and the weir with its fishery on your left.

Visit the village of Saint-Sauveur en Puisaye and its museum dedicated to Colette and Colette's house.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Fanfan et Philippe
Fanfan et Philippe

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike on a beautiful early spring day: ponds, meadows and the woods of Puisaye. The only slight downside is that the last part of the route is a bit long, but it goes through the woods and there is little traffic.
We'll do it again in summer to enjoy the coolness of the hedgerows and woods.
Thank you.

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bcr
bcr

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The start of the route is confusing
Heading west is not very clear on the spot
You can find the Loing via a road that leads to St-Sauveur... which is not
good.
A route with varied and interesting landscapes

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CRB Bellerive sur Allier
CRB Bellerive sur Allier

Overall rating : 0 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2017
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable

I am currently planning a hiking trip to Puisaye for June 2018, which is why I haven't tested it yet.
Best regards.

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POULIN Gérard
POULIN Gérard ★

Hello and thank you, Martine, for your comment.
To avoid this problem with bold text, try the Club version. You can customise the colour, transparency and instructions to suit your needs.

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martineburlet
martineburlet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very useful tool that enabled us to explore Moutiers and its surroundings.
Comments: as we didn't have an IGN 250 map, we didn't know whether the route marked in bold covered paths or tarmac roads. We sometimes hesitated when reading the instructions because there were no distance indications.
But well done and thank you for this tool, which is available free of charge.

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POULIN Gérard
POULIN Gérard ★

Very happy with all your comments. I see that you also choose unmarked trails. This one will certainly never be marked, but it allows lovers who simply set off with maps and Visorando descriptions to discover sites off the beaten track.

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piépié0702
piépié0702

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb route, very well marked and described.
Yesterday's beautiful weather made us want to explore the paths and small, shaded roads of this lush green region of Puisaye.
We were familiar with the Moutiers lake but not the Charmoy lake, which is a real haven of peace.
We ended our hike with a visit to the church in Moutiers, which is a marvel with its highly visible murals. We left a note in the guest book.
The route is pleasant and relaxing. It's always a pleasure to hike in Puisaye.
Thank you for these wonderful discoveries.

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POULIN Gérard
POULIN Gérard ★
• Edited:

Good evening, Farjas, and thank you for your comment.
I have reviewed this description and cannot see any errors. As for the use of roads, they are essential because many rural paths have been sold by the local council to private individuals and are therefore no longer available for hiking. However, these roads have little traffic and are well shaded. Using the verges makes walking easier.

See you soon on other paths.

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Farjas
Farjas
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Error in the description. At the start of the hike, after the level crossing, follow the road for 200 metres and turn left to reach the railway line. The most interesting part of the route is at the start: the first pond. After that, there is little new to see. Lots of roads. Magnificent frescoes in the chapel of Moutiers eu Puisaye.

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TRAVERS
TRAVERS

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful walk in Puisaye.

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