Aubermesnil-aux-Érables brings together landscape connections, two named circular trails and a specific local history. The Source de l’Yères is located in the commune; the Église Notre-Dame and Mont Gournoy provide further historical points of reference. Different details can help you choose a route: the Circuit de la Quesnoye gives a distance and approximate walking time, while the Circuit du Caud Soleil starts in the village centre. Nature, exercise and heritage can therefore offer different perspectives when deciding whether the village is right for a stay.
Landscape along the Yères
The commune lies nestled in the Forêt d’Eu, also known as the Pays du Talou. The Source de l’Yères is located in Aubermesnil-aux-Érables. A description of the L’Yères Natura 2000 site, updated in May 2022, lists the village as one of the communes included in the site. It identifies the riverbed itself, a 25 m-wide functional strip on each side, and wetlands in the floodplain as components of the site. The 25 m applies to the strip on each side of the river; the figure should not be read as the combined width of both strips. Alongside the source’s specific connection to the village, the riverbed, adjoining functional strips and floodplain wetlands are therefore also among the features of the site.
Walks and getting your bearings
The route description, updated on 23 December 2024, describes the Circuit de la Quesnoye as a very easy walk of about 4 km, taking around an hour. The distance and time provide two useful planning guides: the approximate length and a time frame. Most of the trail follows farm tracks above Aubermesnil-aux-Érables, with views of the village and beyond. La Quesnoye is considered a circular walk suitable for hikers and families. When deciding whether the walk is right for you, you can take into account its approximate length, the type of path and the views.
The Circuit du Caud Soleil circular trail starts in the village centre, at the lower end of Rue de l’Église. There are a few parking spaces near the starting point, at the foot of the Église Notre-Dame. When choosing a route, a practical difference becomes clear: the Quesnoye offers an approximate guide to time and distance, while the Caud Soleil has a starting point in the village centre. The trails therefore provide different points of reference, depending on whether walking time and distance or the starting point in the village matters most to you.
Local history and architecture
The first V1 rockets launched from Seine-Maritime took off on the night of 12–13 June 1944 from launch sites at Mont Gournoy in Aubermesnil-aux-Érables and Rétonval. Aubermesnil-aux-Érables is therefore one of the launch sites specifically named. The description of these as the first V1 launches refers to Seine-Maritime; the event also took place on a specific night.
The Église Notre-Dame adds two dated details to the village’s history. The year 1724 is engraved on one of its doors, and the church has eleven stained-glass windows, restored in 1952. The dates refer to different features: 1724 is the date inscribed on the door, while 1952 is the year the windows were restored. Unlike the event at Mont Gournoy, the focus here is on individual architectural details of the church rather than a historical event.
Discover more destinations: Goderville, Le Havre, Gruchet-Saint-Siméon, Notre-Dame-De-Gravenchon, Bertreville-Saint-Ouen, La Haye, Avesnes-En-Val, Hugleville-en-Caux
For an overview of the wider area: Seine-Maritime.
