The best walks and hikes around Haucourt

This natural area located in Forges-les-Eaux is organized around the ponds of the Andelle, formed by two rivers: the Andelle to the east and the Chevrette to the west. All around extends the Bois de l’Épinay, remarkable for the great diversity of tree species it shelters. You can walk there, observe the birds, picnic and take a quiet break enjoying the rustling of the many leaves.

This majestic facade located near the Casino comes from the town of Gisors. Originally, it was the facade of the chapel of the Carmelite convent built in the 17th century at the initiative of François Sublet. After the French Revolution, this building was transformed into a municipal theater before being bombed during the Second World War. Jacques Hébertot, owner of the Forges Casino in the 1950s, bought the last remaining intact vestige from the town of Gisors and erected it in the town of Forges-les-Eaux with the aim of recreating a certain historical setting.

This area is located just at the entrance to the Andelle ponds, opposite the casino. A few tables are available, at the foot of the lake, for a nice picnic. Be careful, places will be expensive on a nice day!

A path has been laid out to reach the sources of the Chevrette: footbridges and pontoons, winding paths, the undulating presence of the Chevrette which plays with the path by shimmering its strange ocher color... We let ourselves be invaded by this beautiful atmosphere in the undergrowth to the source itself.

This part of the city was developed from the 16th century with the discovery of ferruginous springs in the current Casino park. It was in 1573 that Nicolas de Moy, Grand Master of Water and Forestry, discovered the presence of ferruginous springs. They were made famous from 1633 with the arrival of King Louis XIII, Queen Anne of Austria and Cardinal Richelieu. The spa was thus born! The springs named Reinette, Royale and Cardinal were thus exploited for their property and their medicinal virtues until the 1980s. @OT Forges les Eaux

These artificial lakes were built in the late 1980s on a peat marsh. They are spread over two levels and separated by an earth dike, valves allow the water level to be controlled. They are fed by the Andelle river which has its source upstream. The wild ponds (to the North) were deliberately left in their natural state to allow birds to nest, while The Bird Mirror (to the South) was the subject of landscaping and ornamental development with consolidation of the banks. . @OT Forges les Eaux

130 million years ago, sand and iron from the dismantling of continental granite massifs were deposited in a shallow sea. These formations, revealed today by erosion, are crossed by rainwater and underground flows. At the bottom of the Brayonne buttonhole, lined with impermeable clay, water infiltrates into the sandy layers which cover them and soon reappears in multiple sources and small streams. During its journey, this water dissolves and carries away the ferric oxides contained in the sands. So on the surface, these waters are slightly acidic and the iron remains in suspension giving this curious rusty color. This is the case of the Chevrette which you trace back to its source. 850 meters long, this water was too high in iron and was never used for cures. @OT Forges les Eaux

Also called the Epinay pond, it is smaller than those of Andelle but nevertheless has a lot of charm. The open banks of the place invite a break for some, fishing for others. Willows and ash trees bend over to embrace the surface.