On the hillsides of Fresney-le-Puceux via a variant route along the Laize

This walk, starting from the town hall in Fresney-le-Puceux, offers a lovely overview of the industrial and architectural heritage. After walking along the peaceful Laize, you will climb the sometimes steep slopes of the hillsides and discover the industrial past, mills and tanneries of this pretty valley.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.77 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 112 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 117 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 89 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 28 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park near the Fresney-le-Puceux cemetery (Rue du Tourtout).

(S/E) From the car park, take Rue du Tourtout on the left, then continue along the small path that descends towards the Tourtout stream. Cross it, then climb the steep slope, cross thefirst path and then, atthe second, keep to the right to continue almost opposite. At the end of the path, take the sunken path and you will come to a road.

Turn left onto it, then turn right onto Impasse du Gué, then take the Gaugain path and cross the bridge over the Laize. Optionally, take a detour to the left for about 100 metres towards the hamlet of Gaugain to see the remains of the old Auguste Lefèvre tannery. After the bridge, turn right, follow the road, cross the hamlet of La Planche à la Housse, then continue straight ahead at the intersection with the road coming from the right for about 50 metres.

(2) Take the small grassy path on the left to climb up to the plateau; the slope is quite steep. At the gate marked "chasse gardée" (private hunting ground), go around the pasture and the forest on the left, cross the embankment and then walk along the fields on the right. At the path, turn left.

(3) Pass in front of the Ranch des Bruyères, an abandoned equestrian centre. At the intersection, keep to the left and continue almost straight ahead. You will then join the heritage trail. When you reach a fork, keep to the right and continue to follow the heritage trail. You will reach a place called Le Pissot after passing a large farm.

(4) Take the D132 road on the right, continue along the heritage trail, continuing between Laize on the left and the cliff on the right. Leave the Pissot path on the left, pass through the hamlet of Jouette, then in front of the Moulin de Tournebu and follow Laize.

(5) Turn left onto the D238B, cross the bridge, pass in front of the Moulin du Touchet, continue and, just before the bus stop, take the Ladres path on the right. Walk along Laize on your right. You will reach the junction with the D238C road at Pont de Fresney.

(6) Turn left and immediately take the Coteaux de Fresney path. Pass in front of the stadium, turn left, pass in front of the École du Cerisier and turn right. Then turn left, walk past the church, pass in front of the castle driveway, walk past the large farm and then turn right to return to the town hall car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 76 m - Car park near the cemetery
  2. 1 : km 1.17 - alt. 44 m - Le Gué Brion
  3. 2 : km 1.66 - alt. 42 m - La Planche à la Housse - Laize (rivière)
  4. 3 : km 2.42 - alt. 87 m - The Ranch des Bruyères
  5. 4 : km 3.12 - alt. 36 m - Le Pissot
  6. 5 : km 3.84 - alt. 31 m - Le Touchet
  7. 6 : km 4.71 - alt. 29 m - The Fresney Bridge
  8. S/E : km 5.77 - alt. 75 m - Car park near the cemetery

Worth a visit

The Château
The Château de Fresney is thought to have been built around 1580 by Pierre d'Harcourt. It is an imposing structure consisting of large buildings arranged in a square around a courtyard. Part of it was demolished in 1840 and a fire ravaged the western part of the main building in 1932. It has been carefully restored since the early 1980s and has been classified as a historic monument since 1930.
There is a mineral water spring within the grounds.
The castle is now privately owned.

The Lefêvre tannery
Its rise began in 1775, when Messrs Gohier and Mottelay introduced the "preparation of foreign leathers" to Bretteville-sur-Laize. A century later, Bretteville, Gouvix and Fresney-le-Puceux became the second largest tanning centre in Calvados, after Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives. Auguste Lefêvre, a tanner by trade, founded this tannery in 1880. He ran the business until 1910, when it closed. The main activity was the tanning of hides from South America. This thick leather ("strong leather") was used to make soles. Thanks to the boom in tanning from 1775 to 1880, an important industrial heritage was gradually built up. Today, only three buildings (built around 1880) typical of the tanning industry in Fresney-le-Puceux remain in the Laize valley: the granary-dryer of the Grand Moulin, a leather store in the hamlet of Gaugain and a "river work topped by a dryer".

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
jeangazon
jeangazon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike!

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Gustave& Aglaé
Gustave& Aglaé

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Good evening,
First of all, thank you for the many hikes you share, which are very well described. For this one, we would like to make a small change to the starting point. Since 2024, the town hall has changed location and is now opposite the church. You therefore need to walk past the church, turn left and then right.
Thanks to you, we have a wonderful time on our hikes and see some beautiful sights! Thank you very much!
Gustave & Aglaé

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Manuelle27
Manuelle27

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant short hike. Beautiful scenery and charming spots. A few small climbs, but nothing too difficult. The section along the Laize is really nice, as are the mill and the old tannery.
We also hesitated when we had to go through the field gate, but thanks to the explanations, we found our way easily. Worth doing again.

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Nadie14
Nadie14
• Edited:

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

There are some beautiful spots to see, especially when you walk along Laize and pass by a stable. However, it is PARISH SPECIFIC TO BRETTAIN deserted, so I would not recommend going there alone. There is a lot of tall grass, so it is best to cover your legs. Two or three things to review in the itinerary.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello AmandineC,
I'm glad to see that you enjoyed this route and thank you for taking the time to share your experience.

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AmandineC
AmandineC
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this very enjoyable hike!

The description is perfect, the route is accurate, but we didn't need to use it much as the description is so precise.
We never had any doubts (it was just less obvious that we had to go through the gate along the fields before arriving at the ranch, but the signposts confirmed that it was allowed).
The little info points were interesting too; it was nice to see the mills and the old tannery, for example.

The hike is peaceful; we didn't meet anyone except in the village, and we found ourselves far from the noise of the city, sometimes walking on tarmac but mostly on fairly easy paths between farmland and wooded areas.

We will definitely do other routes mapped out by Mr Buteau! Thank you!

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback. It is indeed to avoid the final section of the original route, and the risks that this entails, that this alternative does not climb the hills via the Jeannette path but instead follows the course of the Laize.

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Chtiwelsh86
Chtiwelsh86

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, and the alternative route along Laize at the end is very worthwhile!

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Good evening,

Thank you for your feedback. It's good to have confirmation that the hike is well documented and to know that it is appreciated by those who take it.

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LiliB
LiliB

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very well explained itinerary! Well done!
Pleasant route
THANK YOU

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello,

This hike is a hybrid between an official route (which is normally marked with yellow signs, for which I am not responsible) and an unmarked section. That is why I have tried to provide as detailed a description as possible. Everyone has their own way of finding their way around, and I can understand that this route may seem complicated to some.

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Kefirette
Kefirette

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Hello, a pleasant hike with fairly steep ascents and descents, and interesting heritage sites to discover. The signposting could do with updating, as it is a little sparse and we are forced to walk through private fields; fortunately, your map is accurate and well designed.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello,

Thank you for your comments and feedback.
This hike is an adaptation of an official route and is therefore only partially marked.
Thank you for your contribution.

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LinouBou
LinouBou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It goes up and down on both sides of Laize! A beautiful walk with interesting architectural heritage. The map is useful because the yellow markings are barely visible, if at all. You can supplement this with the heritage trail to learn about the industrial past of the Laize valley.

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Lau roule
Lau roule

You're welcome, it was my pleasure, I loved the hike!
Have a nice Sunday
Laurence

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