6. Roman Tower Trail – Starting point: Church Square, Saint-Mards-de-Blacarville

Beginning at the church square in Saint-Mards-de-Blacarville, this route offers a remarkable variety of landscapes. Open farmland, sunken bocage lanes winding through the valleys, riverside paths along the Risle, and stretches of deciduous woodland featuring oak, beech, birch and chestnut trees follow one another throughout the walk.

The former towpath runs alongside the Risle for three kilometres—almost a third of the route—before crossing the peaceful outskirts on the right bank of Pont-Audemer and passing the former cardboard factory, currently undergoing redevelopment.

The area boasts a rich architectural heritage. The Roman Tower is an attractive manor house created within the bell tower of the former church of Saint-Mards, a reminder of the merger between the parishes of Blacarville and Saint-Mards. The Ferme de la Lorie stands out with its crenellated stone gateway and dovecote. The Church of Blacarville, rebuilt in flint during the 15th century, still preserves its herringbone-pattern foundations and its 13th-century chancel. In the churchyard, a remarkable female yew tree with a hollow trunk, estimated to be between 750 and 950 years old, stands as a silent guardian of the site.

A rewarding walk where nature and history meet at every turn of the path.