Walk through the Tourmauville woods

Start from the car park opposite Gavrus Town Hall, on the D214 on the odd-numbered side of the street.

(S/E) From the car park opposite the town hall, head up to the right along Rue de l’Église (D214) until you reach the church.

(1) Ignore the Chemin du Hameau on your right, turn left then right onto the D214 (Rue du^8e Royal Scots) and leave the built-up area. Continue carefully along the D214 on the hard shoulder, walk to the left-hand bend and continue straight on along the dirt track.

(2) At the Croix de l'Arbre wayside shrine, veer slightly left, continue to the second junction, turn left and carry on to the next crossroads; note the presence of a yellow gas or hydrocarbon marker nearby.

(3) Turn left again, pass under the extra-high-voltage power line (400 kV) near pylon no. 208, then rejoin the road. Cross the D214 with great care and follow Chemin de Guitaut down to Château de Tourmauville (Itep) at a place called Les Vilains.

(4) In front of the château, turn right and continue along the Chemin des Vilains (not signposted at this point). En route, after a left-hand bend, pass the Les Écuries de l’Odon riding centre. Continue to the junction with the D89.

(5) At the end of Chemin des Vilains, cross carefully then turn left onto the D89, keeping well to the right. At the fork, ignore the Chemin du Ponchet on the right, take the left-hand bend (Route de Cheux), follow the road for 500 m and follow the S-bends to the edge of a bridge.

(6) Just before the bridge, head down the path on the left. After a low-lying section, take the left-hand, higher branch of the path to follow the Odon on the right bank and cross the Bois de Tourmauville. Pass below the château’s pergola (a columned structure) and ignore the wooden footbridges on your right.

(7) Further on, at the crossroads, leave the Pont Neuf on your right and take the path opposite which runs along the edge of the woods and overlooks the river. At the fork, keep well to the right even though the path narrows, and join Rue du Moulin (D139). Turn left, walk up the street on the left-hand pavement for a good hundred metres and, using the pedestrian crossing, cross Rue du Moulin (D139) very carefully. Continue uphill on the right-hand pavement, then turn right onto Chemin de la Bruyère.

(8) Take the path, which is steep at the start and tarmac-surfaced up to the last house; then continue along the footpath and navigate the three right-angled bends. Follow the path up alongside the very long stone wall until you reach the edge of the road.

(9) Do not cross the D214 but take the side street to the left of Rue des Galets towards Gavrus centre. Cross the D139 (Rue du Moulin) with great care, making sure to use the pedestrian crossing on the left, then continue along Rue de l’Église (D214) towards the town hall before crossing it carefully to reach the car park on the opposite side (the one by the school) and the parking area. (S/E)

The path that follows the River Odon from crossing point no. 6 is prone to flooding; please check conditions during periods of high water.

Saint-Aubin Church in Gavrus

From the 15th century onwards, dedicated to Saint Aubin, the church was under the jurisdiction of the Archdeaconry of Bayeux and the Deanery of Evrecy. Lord Pierre du Buisson is, in all likelihood, buried in the southern chapel adjoining the nave and chancel. Certain parts of the building, damaged during the Second World War, have been preserved, notably the belfry (a wall in which one or more visible bells are set). The lower sections of the walls were once decorated with wood; the stalls have disappeared, but the tiling in the sacristy is original. Concealed within the south exterior wall of the church is a statue depicting the patron saint, Saint Aubin, dressed in episcopal vestments.

Former Château de Gavrus

A vast enclosed park crossed by the River Odon and adjoining the lands of Mondrainville marks the boundary of the Château de Gavrus estate, comprising a house and a hunting lodge. This building was once a bakery; the château was destroyed by fire in 1944, and the restored stables now house the Fil d’Ariane. Two seated lions, their paws resting on shields bearing the coat of arms of a lady of Bernières-Louvigny, once adorned the steps of Gavrus Castle. In 1944, one of them was destroyed by bombing. The other has been placed in the park.

Château de Tourmauville

You arrive facing Château de Tourmauville. It dates from the 18th century and was built by Robert de Mattingley, an English aristocrat. A chapel adjoining the château was built in the 19th century by Constantin James, the owner of the estate, to spare his ailing wife the long journey to church. This château was bequeathed in 1963 to the Association des Amis de Jean Bosco.

Jean Bosco was a disciple of Saint Francis de Sales and the founder of the Salesian congregation. He was a famous thaumaturge (a person claimed to perform miracles).