THREE SAINT'S WAY - DAY FIVE

QUETTEHOU TO MONTEBOURG 13.56 MILES 

The day started by retracing our steps back to where we had left off the previous day by walking from the Hotel to the bus station in Valognes and getting the bus to Quettehou and after  buying our picnic lunch walking back to the coast by which time we had done 0.91 miles from the bus stop. Once again we were looking across the mud towards the fortified island of La Hougue - see photo below.

We arrived at the coast on the road called Chasse du Bourg and turned right south west. It was a no through road and when it ended at 1.02 miles at Le Dic Moulin where a sign warned no access to vehicles, but the coast path continued by it. Ahead could be seen the village of Le Rivage - see the photo below.

At 1.07 miles we crossed a stream Le Vaupreux its waters rushing out on to the muddy bay - see photo below.

At 1.16 miles residential properties block progress along the coast and it is necessary to go right inland, the track goes left and then right on a road called Rue du Buissonnet. Just before there are fields on both sides the GR223 goes left along another track working its way around the remaining property back to the coast. After a short beach the route works seaward around other properties and at 1.47 passes an access to the beach at the end of the Chemin d'Isamberville. At 1.65 miles it was necessary to leave the shore again this time onto a narrow road called the Chasse aux Mesles. At 1.66 miles the GR223 goes left up some concrete steps and along a path fenced on both sides. The path goes straight through to another road called the Rue du Rivage at 1.74 miles which is crossed and another set of concrete steps marks the start of another path fenced on both sides between properties and then straight on along the south west side of a field. In the far left corner it goes left and then right and then left and then right again around some tennis courts to exit onto a tiny road in the village of Le Rivage. The route goes right along the road, turns right at a T-junction and the road widens and heads inland. After passing a display board next to a track on the left (that should be ignored), the GR223 uses the next vehicular track between buildings (waymarked) at 2.05 miles. The route goes left then right then left then right and after working along the back of some coastal properties on a track called Les Campagnettes ends up at the coast again. After passing some concrete blockhouses the path becomes a vehicular track and parking area at the end of a road coming from the hamlet of Morsalines on the hill inland at 2.69 miles. The beach was full of shells - see picture below

Navigation wise the route was much easier now and a track used by vehicles keeps next to the coast and progress is easy.

The tide was coming in now very fast and the coastal marshes were disappearing under water (see photo above). At 4.17 miles another road came to the shoreline and the T-junction with the coastal track was recognisable by a triangular area of grass in the junction. Continuing along the coastal track it split into two and then rejoined again at 4.41 miles. At 4.89 miles the coastal track joins a road at Les Bergeries which was followed along the coast. Just before it becomes a rough vehicular track at 4.98 miles a track on the left enables the walker to keep closer to the coastal margin. The two tracks run parallel with each other until at 5.44 miles and a line of wooden posts marks the furthest point vehicles can go along the coast. They are forced to go inland along a road called La Maison du Garde. Here we passed through the posts and carried on along a path near the shore. At 5.74 miles and at a car park defined by more wooden posts we turned inland to join a substantial tarmac road going inland. We were to leave the GR223 and the signposted route to Mont St Michel. It would be several days after we left this eastern shore before we would reach the coast on the west side.

The road was straight going towards the hills inland and we passed the field in the above photo where there was a store of the metal work needed to harvest the produce of the sea. At 6.51 miles after passing a farm on the right called La Cour de Lestre the road bent left and then there was a T-junction with a larger road at 6.59 miles. We turned right and climbed up the road towards the village of Le Bourg de Lestre. At 6.74 miles we turned left down a narrow lane called Le Moulin Hue signposted to Chapelle St Michel which was the reason that we had departed from the GR223 earlier. Forking right almost immediately we followed a track to the Chapelle. It dates from 1160 and was related to the Abbey Blanchelande it was sold after the French Revolution in 1817 and a lot of stone has been looted. We had our picnic lunch in the grounds.

This was a decapitated statue of St Jacques dating from 15th century. 

A relief in a side chapel of St Cosmos and Damian. Saint Comos (or Como or Cosme) is the patron saint of surgeons and Damian his brother the patron saint of pharmacists. They practiced medicine, were born on in Cilicia and lived on the Roman Syrian coast. They suffered martyrdom under Diocletian in 303 or 310 and were tortured and beheaded along with their three brothers.

We returned back to the main  road in the village at 6.92 miles and turned left. As the road bent right we went left along along another road at 6.99 miles and then almost immediately left again down a minor road. It went right and then when it went left we continued on a footpath between hedges. It exited onto another minor road where we turned down left along it at 7.25 miles. We left it at 7.28 miles down a vehicular track to cross a bridge over the River Sinop and then forked left along a vehicular track which bent round to the right and climbed to a T-junction with a road called Chemin des Landes and went right along it at 7.51 miles.We were back on the GR223 again and followed it to the left at a fork just after. It continued to climb. At 7.78 miles we passed a road off to the right, continuing to climb. At a cross roads with the D42 we went left along this larger road at 7.92 miles. At 8.07 miles we branched right off it down another road the Rue du Bas de Launey. Descending into the valley and after a few sharp bends in the hamlet of Launey we reached and crossed a stream via the Pont Barbot at 8.34 miles. A rough track continued ahead, turned left and then bent right and climbed out of the valley between fields. At 8.60 miles it bent left and then right and at 8.86 miles it was straight across a crossroads of vehicular tracks. At 9.25 miles we reached a cross roads in the middle of a collection of farms called Le Bas de Fontenay and turned right along a road called Vierge du Bas de Fontenay with a tennis court on the right. At 9.43 miles at a T-junction we went right and then shortly after left along a road called Avenue de Courcy between a pair of walls. At 9.59 miles I took the picture below of the Chateau de Courcy. If you are made of money you can stay here!

http://www.chateaudecourcy.com/en/chateau-de-courcy/history-castle

We continued on the lovely tree lined avenue. 

At 9.70 miles we  got this view looking back at the Chateau along a driveway. At 9.96 miles after passing through another pair of walls we reached a staggered cross roads and turned right signed to "Quettehou 12".  At 10.13 miles we branched left on a minor vehicular track between hedges. Long grass indicated it had not be used lately. At 10.46 miles we reached a minor road, Le Rond Buquet, where we went right and then almost immediately left down another road, forking left at 10.59 miles in the hamlet of Village de l'Eglise passing to the left of the church with its large square tower. Immediately after the church at 10.68 miles the road went left and we went straight on a farm track called Chasse du Moulin. The track crossed the Rau du Vau-Doux (a stream) at 10.89 miles. The track continued as a footpath between hedges with fields on both sides. At 11.57 miles at a T- junction with another vehicular track we went right along it along a wooded valley and passing the farm of Le Renoufs where the track went left and became a minor road. We followed it straight on ignoring other tracks until a crossroads with a slightly larger road at 12.04 miles where we went straight across along a rough vehicular track. At 12.04 miles and after a right hand bend it met another track, the Chasse des Murs, at a T-junction where we turned left along it. At 12.69 miles it went straight on where another track went right into some farm buildings. At 12.82 miles at a three way junction we went down right descending into a valley and crossing a little stream and then the track improved as we climbed up the other side into the town of Montebourg with large buildings on the right. On reaching a road at 13.05 miles we went left along the Rue de L'Abbaye. We took the second road on the right the Rue du Rivet which climbed up into the town, At the top there was a market square full of parked cars and we turned left passing a bar with "Welcome bikers" on the sign above. Continuing in the same direction passing "La Poste" we arrived at the main shopping street. Turning right up it the space between the buildings widened with large parking areas on both sides and further up there were bus stops on both sides (see photo below), We needed the one on the right. With time to spare we adjourned to the bar behind it. We had done 13.56 miles.

The bus needed to get back to Valognes was the Maneo Bus No 1 coming from St Lo to Cherbourg-Octeville an eight minute trip.  http://transports.manche.fr/lignes-horaires-maneo-express.asp