La Bazoche-Gouet combines protected architectural heritage with traces of water power and a circular walk that crosses the Yerre. The town lies within the Parc naturel régional du Perche. This offers different options for planning your trip: the history of the churches, the technology of a mill, or a walk with specific details about distance and duration. The circular walk is 4.2 kilometres long, rated very easy and takes about 1 hour and 18 minutes. This time estimate applies to the route; allow extra time for any visits when planning.
Churches and works of art
The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste has been protected as a historic monument by a decree dated 13 April 1907. Most of the church dates from the 16th century, while some surviving structural elements go back to the 13th century. Several periods thus meet in this building, and its history cannot be reduced to a single date.
The furnishings also offer specific historical points of reference: the church has 16th-century stained-glass windows, including one dated 22 June 1541. There are also fourteen Stations of the Cross painted on canvas. They were painted by a local worker and his son. The windows and canvas paintings offer different ways to explore the church’s history—through stained glass in one case, and through the Stations created together in the other.
Another religious building is the Chapelle Notre Dame des Bois, which dates from the 13th century. Together with the older structural elements of the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, it shows that La Bazoche-Gouet has heritage from more than one period of construction. If church architecture is of particular interest, you can use these dates to help shape the cultural focus of your trip.
Grand Moulin and the Yerre
The Grand Moulin is part of local milling history. It was built in the 17th century, probably on the site of a seigneurial mill dating from the 13th century. In the 19th century, the Yerre—a tributary of the Loir and a second-category watercourse—powered the wheels of six grain mills. This places the history of the Grand Moulin within the wider use of the river, without limiting the story to a single building.
The Grand Moulin retains a complex hydraulic system, including a three-metre waterwheel, millstones, a tarare and a plansifter. The facility extends over three levels. Anyone interested in the history of technology and industry will find more than the outward appearance of a mill here: the surviving parts bring into focus the different components of the equipment and their arrangement within the building. Confirm visitor access locally.
Circular walk, fishing waters and a place to stay
The circular walk “La Bazoche-Gouet, une baronnie du Perche” starts and ends in La Bazoche-Gouet. It crosses the Yerre and leads back to the church. Its length of 4.2 kilometres and duration of about 1 hour and 18 minutes provide a clear basis for planning your walk. Check current trail conditions before setting out, as they may change.
The Plan d'eau Gilbert Lecomte offers a different activity: the water is easily accessible and has a secure fishing area near the car park. If fishing is part of your plans, check the current fishing regulations in advance, as they may change. Camping municipal La Rivière is on the banks of the Yerre, next to two well-equipped fishing ponds. Check the campsite’s opening times and available services before travelling.
You can give these themes different weight depending on your travel interests: the church and chapel represent historic architecture, the Grand Moulin offers an insight into milling technology, and the Yerre illustrates its role in the region’s milling history. The circular walk adds a clearly measured route to your plans; the fishing area and ponds appeal to a different interest. Confirm visitor access, trail conditions and seasonal campsite information wherever they are relevant to your travel dates.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Arnoult-Des-Bois, Le Mesnil-Simon, Thivars, Le Gué-De-Longroi, Frazé, Nogent-le-Roi, Beauche, La Puisaye
For the broader travel overview: Eure-Et-Loir.
