38. Nightingale Trail – Starting point: Priory behind Saint-Philbert-sur-Risle Church

Hilly, rich in bocage landscapes and woodland, the Nightingale Trail is one of the routes that best captures the character of the Risle Valley. Wide-ranging viewpoints, remarkable heritage sites and magnificent pollarded trees lining the sunken lanes create a succession of highlights throughout the walk.

The first major attraction is the Church and Priory of Saint-Philbert. Its 13th-century Romanesque bell tower overlooks an interior containing 15th-century frescoes, listed as Historic Monuments, depicting the life of Saint Ouen. Behind the church, the restored priory enclosure opens onto a public park featuring a 17th-century manor house, a half-timbered dovecote and a traditional bread oven. The grounds are freely accessible, and church keys can be obtained from the town hall during opening hours.

Further uphill stand the medieval towers of the Barony, four 14th-century towers overlooking the valley and forming the remains of the former estate of the Bishops of Avranches. The old tithe barn still survives within the courtyard.

The walk concludes beautifully at the Ravin des Fontaines, a protected Sensitive Natural Area. This beech- and oak-covered valley is shaped by an intermittent stream and lined with remarkable pollarded hornbeams along the descent.

A demanding route with significant elevation changes, best suited to walkers looking for a more challenging and rewarding hike.