THREE SAINT'S WAY - DAY TEN

COUTANCES TO REGNEVILLE-SUR-MER 9.2 MILES

Summary:- The legs felt as though there was no power in them as we set off through the town to look at the cathedral. It was austere and lacking in light but nevertheless a massive structure. It is on a hill so our route was downhill along steep residential streets passing the Jardin des Plantes. On the other side of the valley we climbed through woods to a horticultural centre and then along a track under the Coutances bypass. We followed the GR223 through to Bricqueville-la-Blouette and descended to the River La Soulle which we followed on a track passing an old mill  to arrive at the Pont de la Roque which had been partially blown up in WW2 to stop the Germans retreating. A four course lunch was taken at the nearby bar. Having crossed the river by the new bridge we followed paths on the south side as it headed West towards the sea. The path was on the landward side of tidal meadows except along a short section of road near Le Prey. The estuary opened up, the muddy banks turning to sand banks. Our shoes covered in salt from the salt covering grasses and plants that must be underwater at high tides we finally got to a coast road at La Miellette and one kilometre later we were checking into the Hostellerie de la Baie in Regneville-sur-Mer. From the first floor room there was a lovely view across the bay and with the tide out the boats anchored were stuck on sand dunes.

Route description:- We went back up the steps to the rear of the Hotel to get to the Rue Saint Nicolas and turned right along this shopping street towards the Cathedral visible at the end. (0.20 miles). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coutances_Cathedral This 13th century building is a remarkable Gothic structure but the lack of light within it was a minus as far as I was concerned. The light that does come in plays down on the central area as illustrated in the photo below.

The main facade is impressive although entry is via a side door on the right. The area in front is a car park, the Place du Parvis Notre Dame, with the Mairie on the south side which has elegant stone work and was clearly built to impress. 

We departed out the south west corner between the Mairie and the Taverne du Parvis, with a slight drizzle in the air. Turned left on reaching Rue Daniel at a T-junction. The road bent aeround to the right where we had the view below down the Rue Quesnel Moriniere. 

Next door down the Rue Daniel was the Jardin des Plantes which looked worthy of a visit but we had no time for that and descended down what was now the Rue Quesnel Canveaux with views into the botanical gardens on the left. At the bottom on reaching the D971 again it was 160 degrees left (0.59 miles) and after 60 metres right over a zebra crossing right down the D44 signposted to St Malo. On going around the next left hand bend the route goes down left along the Rue des Piliers (0.71 miles). 

The route is straight on down towards the bottom, with some interesting ways of parking a car in this narrow street with no footways. Just before the bottom turn left down the short road called Rue Hameau Turpin (0.83 miles). After crossing a stream it comes to an end and here take a path on the left. Shortly after ignore a path up to the right and then at a fork go right and the path climbs up through woods. At the top continue straight on where another track joins from the right and then left on reaching a more substantial roadway next to a garden centre building. (1.26 miles). Work clockwise around it. I took the picture below through a gateway at the corner of the building looking back at Coutances and its Cathedral on the hill opposite.

The next thing to look for is a pond and a path that continues to the right of it. This bends left and joins another roadway in what appears to be an agricultural college. Turn right along the roadway and after gong under a bridge carrying an aqueduct (1.51 miles) the roadway goes out into countryside. At a T-junction of tracks turn left (1.58 miles). After ignoring one track on the left (1.71 miles) the track goes into an underpass under the D971 the Coutance bypass (1.84 miles). At 1.92 miles take a left fork in what is now a tarmac road. Keep straight on down the road gradually downhill along the right hand side of a valley until at 2.58 miles another larger road is reached, Turn left here uphill along it. Climbing out of the valley the houses in Briqueville-la-Blouette can be seen ahead. At the top of the ridge ahead is a main road (2.89 miles) with Coutances signposted to the left and Pont de la Roque to the right. Go 30 metres to the right and then left down the Rue du Val de Soulles (not quite straight across the main road). This narrow road as the name suggests takes the user down into the valley of the River Soulles. The picture below was taken on the way down. 

This bicycle turned into a flower display was spotted on the way down at No 33. There was also another bicycle leaning up against a yellow painted wall of the house that was entirely painted yellow to match - tyres and all.

Follow the road downhill until at the bottom it becomes an unsurfaced track and a car park area followed by a T-junction (3.34 miles). Here turn right along an unsurfaced vehicular track which bends left and follows the right (north side) of the valley of the River Soulles which is off to the left. On nearing the Moulin de Paillasse the track climbs up to pass above it (3.79 miles) and then bends left and drops down back into the valley to the western entrance to the mill. Turn right at this point to continue the journey down the valley but now on a tarmac road. On reaching a T-junction with the Rue du Pont de la Roque turn left (4.25 miles) and follow a specially constructed path/cycle way on the left. Nearing the top of a rise ignore the D57 on the right and go straight on (4.41 miles). This is the village of Le Pont du la Roque. After passing a Boulangerie - Patisserie and then Boucherie - Charcuterie and before you get to a roundabout bear left down a section of the old road (4.61 miles). This route avoids the roundabout and comes out back onto a newer road right next to La Bonne Auberge (picture below) and what a good inn it proved to be. A very reasonably priced 4 course menu du jour with wine and Jim and I left singing their praises. 

There is a display panel next to the old bridge which has to be read to understand the significance of the Pont de la Roque. The picture below of the old bridge is on the display panel. 

Below is a picture of what remains today. The bridge was blown up by British pilots in World War Two in order to stop German forces retreating in the face of the Normandy invasion. A Canadian pilot was killed in an earlier attempt to dive bomb the bridge. This coastline experiences one if not the highest tidal height changes and in a rising tide the water floods up the river at a pace that is extraordinary and there are tidal bores and likewise it retreats at a similar pace so the waters edge has to be treated with great caution. The River is the Sienne, the Soulles joining it just to the north.

Having enjoyed our lunch we went to look at the destroyed bridge and then crossed the adjoining bridge built to replace it in 1950. Once across the route crosses a picnic area on the right and passes to the right of a house to continue along a track which keeps along the boundary between the flat alluvial marshes and the rising ground to the south. Below is a picture of that track at 5.20 miles.

At 5.63 miles the course of the River Sienne comes very close to the path and the south side of the valley and below is a view looking back.

At 5.95 miles an unsurfaced track comes down to the path from the hamlet of Urville on slightly higher ground to the south. The church is visible from the path.The route to be taken depends on whether there is a high tide, as the picture below indicates there are routes further into the salt marshes. This was taken at 6.10 miles. The route goes below a wooded slope visible in the background of this photo. 

At 6.45 miles when the wooded slope comes to an end the route goes inland through a gate and up a grassy track (see photo below) but only to 6.49 miles where it turns right along another track. 

The track goes west and then south keeping one field away from the shoreline (ignore two tracks down to the shore at 6.81 miles and 6.88 miles). After crossing the end of a creek where there is an old wash house the track joins a road (D249) at 7.03 miles, turn right here and follow the road in to the village of Le Prey. In the village at 7.29 miles where the road bends left go right down a minor road marked as a no through road and this leads back to the shoreline. Follow the track as it bears left along the shore with mudflats and the river and the wide estuary on the right (see photo below) . 

The track through the marshes heads south west by west to a point called le Mondin and then turns south at 7.99 miles. At 8.12 miles the path ventures out across the salt marshes taking a short cut to the houses visible in the distance. If a high tide you may need to keep further towards the edge of the fields to the east, At 8.69 miles you have to leave the marshes through a side gate next to a field gate and go onto a road in the village of La Mielette. Continuing along the coast following the road you pass the sign indicating the arrival into Regneville sur Mer. At the end of the straight at a T-junction ( 8.84 miles) it is right and then left keeping to the shore road. At 9.15 miles the Hostellerie de la Baie is reached which was to be our halt for the night. (Picture below)

Accommodation:- The Hostellerie did us very well. We had a spacious twin room on the first floor at the corner of the building, top left on the picture above. One window looked across the car park in the picture the other out across the now wide and sandy estuary. The sun shined through the windows for the remainder of the afternoon and the tide went out leaving numerous boats moored in the estuary resting on the sand. There was an external terrace with tables and chairs (on the left) but come the evening we dined in the spacious and surprisingly large restaurant. Below is the picture looking out from there. The restaurant was well used by locals and well appointed. Our Sunday morning breakfast was not so good just toast butter jam and a pot of coffee. Nevertheless we gave it 9 out of 10.

Contact details - Didier Lecureur, Hostellerie de las Baie, Le Port, 50590 Regneville-sur-Mer Tel +33 2 33 07 43 94 Fax +33 2 33 07 64 09 Email hostelleriebaie@hotmail.fr Web site www.hostellerie-de-la-baie.fr We booked through Booking.com