THREE SAINT'S WAY - DAY TWO

CHERBOURG TO COSQUEVILLE -14.51 MILES

You could get a bus to the outer edges of Cherbourg if you wanted to avoid the urban area. Bus No 8 goes to Tourlaville Becquet - see the interactive route map and timetables at http://www.zephirbus.com but we came here to walk. All the distances quoted are from the start and with the description below you should be able to follow. A GPS would be useful so that you can monitor to the distance travelled as well.

Starting at the statue of Napoleon we walked back towards the dock basins passing the Basilique Sainte-Trinite and the dry dock and along the Quai Caligny and across the lock that connects the inner and outer basins and back along the east side of the outer basin along the Quai General Lawton Collins to a roundabout. Following a cycleway the route then was towards the Ferry terminal following their fencing along Boulevard Felix Amiot. The terminal prevents any pedestrian route along that part of the coast. After 1.25 miles we pass the terminal building and where the road forked we went right along the Boulevard Maritime (the old road) in the same direction. Where it bends right to a T-junction after 1.95 miles we went right and then immediately left along a cycleway which goes through to the Boulevard des Flamands and continues along the north side of it. When the fencing on the left ended there was a car park and that was where we turned left through it and under the E3 (the main road out of Cherbourg) to get our first glimpse of the coast after 2.53 miles.

Piles of stones on the beach protected the coast road with the E3 on the right. At 2.82 miles there was a roundabout on the E3 to the right and a link from it to the minor coast road the Boulevard de Collignon. After passing the Rue de la Mer on the right at 3.21 miles a beach car park was reached. We followed a narrow path on the left going parallel with and next to the coast with more parking on the right. To our joy a beach bar was seen on the edge of sand dunes our first stop. The beach promenade along the Plage Collignon led us to Le Becquet at 3.97 miles. After passing seaward of an industrial property on a narrow path we walked along the Chemin de Viviers next to the sea to the Port du Becquet a tidal narrow harbour protected by a sea wall but as the tide was out it was a sea of mud. At the end of the quay on the right in a green space were two white lighthouses marking the route into the harbour entrance. A narrow road called La Roche Toinette continues following the coast and after a left fork becomes a path around a little headland at 4.50 miles. Here we had to head inland on a narrow road called Les Tamiris because of a lack of access to the next section of coast. We soon emerged on the main coast road the Route de Denneville where we went left along a narrow footway crossing to the other side when it ran out. After climbing up a hill we picked up the route of a former railway line on the left at 4.74 miles which gives the impression of being a cycleway but is open to vehicles called La Houguette des Bas. A few hundred metres separate this route from the sea. At 5.11 miles we turned left down the first narrow road called the Chemin du Moulin which leads to the sea. At the bottom a narrow path went right by the sea and then climbed up the Chemin de la Cale to join a wider but still narrow road where we turned left along it. Again keeping a little away from the coast, later keeping inland of a large holiday camp on the Pointe du Heu we arrived back on the main coast road at the Plage de Bretteville at 5.54 miles.

Keeping to the main coast road and having left the beach behind we reached a car park on the left. Just beyond it on the left  at 5.74 miles is the first of a series of useful coast path signs giving the distances to the next feature. Here we turned left to follow the path to the shore and turned right following the coast. The scenery was getting wilder now. There is a headland visible ahead but before reaching there we had an unexpected challenge. The main coast road (the D116) is set back from the coast and the strip of land between it and the coast is divided into lots of little fields. Nearly every point where the hedge or fence reaches the coast involved climbing a stone stile. I lost count of the stiles and welcomed the point where the coast path finally climbed back to the coast road at 7.10 miles as it started to work around the headland. The route involved turning left and following the crash barrier on the coast side of the road until the road starts to go into a cutting. At the point the crash barrier came to an end before the cutting we turned left to follow a path which was going to take us out to the end of the headland called the Pointe du Brick. It is downhill to the point and then back up again after that through wartime remains. The path descends down a steep set of steps back to the coast road at the other end of the road cutting. Ahead was a lovely beach called Anse du Brick which was below us as we walked along the coast road in search of a lunch spot. At 7.60 miles on a side road off to the right was a camp site where there was a shop with what we needed.

Returning back to the coast road we went straight across and down a side road that led to the beach, across the outfall of the Ruisseau du Nid du Corps and onto a coast path running between dwellings and the cliffs until at 8.09 miles we were out onto open coastal heathland with the coast road well above us. A nice wild section of coast path followed around a gradual bend to the right (the Pointe du Brule) and then above the Anse du Pied Sablon a sandy cove. The path joins a narrow vehicular track briefly at 8.83 miles before leaving the track again as it goes inland. The path took us next to the pretty Port du Cap Levi at 9.27 miles. A couple of sea walls keep the big waves out of this tidal port with a small number of boats sheltering and bobbing about. The route joined and followed a road around the port and climbed out of the bay with it and just beyond the first house on the right we took the coast path on the left towards a headland where Fort du Cap Levi is located. http://fortducaplevi.com Built in 1801 at the instigation of Napoleon to protect the Cherbourg Bay  there are display boards explaining its history which we studied with interest. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_du_Cap_L%C3%A9vi At 9.80 miles on the other side of the fort we re-joined the coast path and headed to the headland Cap Levi where there is a lighthouse https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap_L%C3%A9vi The nineteenth century version was destroyed in 1944, the current 36 metre high structure was built in 1947.

There is a car park at the headland at 10.32 miles from which the coast path continues along a rocky coastline. The path goes through a quarried area and then reaches Port Pignot a tiny tidal port with room for only a dozen boats at 10.88 miles.  Leaving it along the road which accesses the port we followed the coast around a slight headland where we briefly left the road to follow the coast and then the sandy Plage de la Mondree was ahead. After rejoining the road we reached a car park serving the beach at 11.28 miles. We found a path on the landward side of the dunes piled up against the beach which took as around the bay. Boots full of sand we arrived at the car park at the other end of the beach at 11.89 miles. We took a vehicular track that followed the coast out to the next headland at Freval. Here there is a cross and monument. Prometheus was a French submarine of 1500 tons launched in 1930 in Cherbourg. As it navigated the surface during trials, the submarine suddenly sank off of Cape Levi for no apparent reason, causing the death of 62 of its 69 crewmen and causing great excitement in France. The wreckage was located the following day but attempts to salvage and re-float it  were unsuccessful.  The testimonies of survivors revealed that the sinking was likely caused by a sudden opening of dive purges.

The coast path continued to the next little headland where Fort Joret was located where there are a few houses. As we went around the headland we joined a minor road. Dwellings block the coast for walkers so we followed the road inland and turned left down the first vehicular track to the next bay at 12.73 miles. One more small headland, the Pointe de la Loge to go before we could think about getting to our accommodation, and it was another path through sand dunes adjacent to a beach. More dwellings and beach huts on the headland and another car park at 13.38 miles, beyond which was another coast road which we followed inland to a village called Hameau de la Mer. The stone built properties not only look attractive but clearly are designed to withstand the coastal weather. Where the road went right at 13.73 miles we went straight on initially along a vehicular track and then along an ancient path called Chasse Vauville, the stone walls on either side testimony to the track's age. It took us to Hameau Monnaie another collection of houses where we turned left along the road through the village at 13.99 miles. Keeping straight on we left the hamlet and the road turned to a farm track and at 14.35 miles we reached a T-junction and turned left. Two hundred metres later and at another junction our hotel was visible to the left. After 14.51 miles, 745 feet of climbing and 5 hours of walking (excluding stops) it was a welcome sight.

We stayed at the Hotel Restaurant Au Bouqet de Cosqueville, 38 Le Hameau Remond, 50330 Cosqueville. Tél. : 02 33 54 32 81  Email aubouquet.decosqueville@orange.fr  It is only a small hotel and there is no other on this coast so if you are following in our footsteps book early. The evening meal was outstanding. The chef was not into being hurried and each course was a masterpiece as well as the aperitifs. It took nearly two and a half hours, the tables were well laid out and we (four of us) were pleased as we staggered off to bed. The rooms were good and priced correctly.  As they say a good day was had by all. A picture of the hotel is below.