The best traffic-free bike rides around Marcilly-Sur-Eure

The Moulin de Mormoulins is a watermill located on the Eure River in the hamlet of Mormoulins. This mill dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries and is a listed historical monument. You can admire the old stone building, the wooden wheel, and the canal that diverts water from the river as you pass in front of the mill. The mill is surrounded by green fields and trees, creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

The construction of the original church of Sorel dates back to the 10th century. In 1113, this church was destroyed during the siege of the fortress of Sorel by the troops of Henry VIII of England coming from Normandy. Its identical reconstruction was unfortunately halted by a fire in 1134. The current church was rebuilt starting in the 13th century, with the chevet completed in the 15th century, and the first two bays of the nave and the northern seigneurial chapel in the 16th century. The bell tower was built in the 17th century by blinding a window. The building is constructed of flint, lime, and white stone on a sandstone base. The upper part is made of Vernon stone. The tiled roof is supported by a beautiful rafter frame whose tie beams are decorated with chimera heads, also called "howling devils." In the choir, the 19th-century altar recalls medieval sculptures. An interesting collection of stained-glass windows dating from 1850. After extensive renovations, masses have been celebrated again since 2007.

Very beautiful pond

Built in the 15th century on the foundations of a chapel whose origins can be traced back to a papal bull from Pope Alexander in 1142, Saint Apollonia was worshipped there.

The Notre-Dame Priory, founded around 1128 by Rahier de Muzy, was dependent on Coulombs Abbey and housed a community of Benedictines. This community was apparently never very large, as Eudes Rigaud's repeated visits in the 13th century only recorded four monks. In 1255, the monks no longer lived together at the priory due to lack of space. By 1269, the buildings were in too poor condition to accommodate the archbishop. Adjoining the convent buildings, the choir of the parish church of Saint John the Baptist was used by the monks. This 12th-century church, built "in a single heap," underwent several embellishments in the 18th century, but on July 21, 1794, it was probably converted into a saltpeter works, along with the entire priory. The church reopened for worship on March 22, 1795. A campaign of renovations restored the buttresses of the west facade with bricks at the end of the 19th century. The bell tower, damaged in 1944 during the fighting on the Avre, was restored in 1959. The monument was closed for another period from 1939 to 1950. The bells were electrified in 1985. Heating was installed in 1990. A restoration project for the entire building was adopted by the municipality in 2003. The roofing work—repairing the roof box—and the complete restoration of the north facade—raising the apron of the openings by approximately 40 centimeters, repairing all the buttresses and old lime plaster—were completed in 2006. The Church of St. John the Baptist has been listed on the supplementary list of historic monuments since December 2005. A competition to select a master glassmaker was held in April 2009. The winning candidate, Coline Fabre, was entrusted with the task of creating The stained-glass windows throughout the building. Four bays were installed in the spring of 2010 and eight in the summer of 2014, so that all bays on the north, east, and south facades were fitted with stained-glass windows. Rehabilitation work on the east and west facades and the installation of the stained-glass windows on the west facade began on November 20, 2018, and was completed at the end of June 2019. The stained-glass windows were inaugurated on September 13, 2019. Since February 2021, the bells have once again rung daily at 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Abondant is located in the Eure Valley, in the immediate vicinity of the Dreux national forest and the important Château de Sourches, which was extensively transformed in the 19th century, and whose grounds were designed by the Duchênes. It appears that the extensive work carried out on the church in the 16th and 18th centuries was due to the generosity of this family. The current Saint-Pierre church succeeds a 12th-century building that was under the control of the canons of Saint-Étienne de Dreux and later the monks of Notre-Dame du Bec. Thanks to parish registers, the dates of its construction are precisely known: in 1508, the roof frame was raised; in 1516, construction continued thanks to donations from Pierre de Guerry, then lord of Abondant; in 1548, the erection of a 60-meter bell tower, which was topped with a cross in 1549. The dedication ceremony by the Bishop of Meaux did not take place until 1604. In the same year, a brotherhood of Charity was created under the patronage of Saint Sebastian and Saint Barbara, which remained

Travel the Eure Valley from Montreuil to Fermaincourt for a scenic ride along quiet country roads. The route passes through charming villages, lush green meadows and peaceful stretches of the Eure River. You'll enjoy gentle slopes that make the ride enjoyable and relaxing, with plenty of places to stop and admire the picturesque countryside.

large bird reserve and nautical activities