Montroty is located in the Pays de Bray in the Seine-Maritime department and borders the state-owned Forêt domaniale de Lyons. A stay here brings together two distinct interests: the La Hêtraie hike and a local history that comes to life in the church, the Le Temple estate, the former La Haye glassworks and the coin hoard. This makes it easy to plan your day around a simple question: should the hike or the area’s architecture and history take centre stage? These themes belong to different periods and places; together, they give Montroty a clearly defined character.

Hiking and Landscapes in the Pays de Bray

The La Hêtraie hike starts at the church in Mont-Rôty and runs through the Bois du Temple. Starting at the church connects the route with a second local theme: the construction history and furnishings of the Eglise Sainte Madeleine. Montroty borders the Forêt domaniale de Lyons, which provides the wider landscape setting; the hike itself follows a route through the Bois du Temple. This distinction helps separate the broader setting of the area from the specific landscape traversed by the route.

The Eglise Sainte Madeleine

The Eglise Sainte Madeleine dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. Its porch is made of brick; the nave is built of brick and flint. The interior features notable woodwork, including a Romanesque vault, pews, choir stalls and a reredos. The date places the church in its historical context, while the building materials and furnishings provide further specific details about its architecture.

Brick is used for both the porch and the nave; flint is also noted for the nave. Inside, the focus shifts to the woodwork and individual furnishings. The exterior and interior thus offer different perspectives on the same church. Alongside the hike, this is a cultural theme that can be described through the church’s construction period, materials and furnishings.

Local History from Le Temple to the Coin Hoard

The Le Temple estate adds a medieval layer to the area’s history. It is a private estate and was transferred in the 14th century, after the disappearance of the Templars, to the Order of the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Order of Malta. This change in the order that owned the estate offers a different historical reference point from the construction history of the Eglise Sainte Madeleine.

The La Haye glassworks represents another chapter in local history: it operated until 1805. Its founder, Philippe de Caqueray, is credited with inventing flat glass for doors and windows. The intended use of the flat glass and its connection to a named founder give this subject a different focus from the history of the estate or the church’s architecture.

The Trésor de Mont-Rôty also offers a perspective of its own. It comprises approximately 872 ancient coins. On 26 July 1905, the hoard was added to the collections of the departmental museum. The approximate figure describes the size of the coin hoard, while the exact date records its accession to the collection. Together with the glassworks, which operated until 1805, it invites a comparison between two very different dates: the end of glass production and the addition of the hoard to a museum collection. The area’s history thus spans medieval land ownership, craftsmanship and archaeological heritage.

Discover more destinations: Tocqueville-En-Caux, Le Tilleul, Grainville-la-Teinturière, Épreville, Cuy-Saint-Fiacre, Saint-Martin-Aux-Buneaux, Bailleul-Neuville, Sierville.

For the wider travel overview: Seine-Maritime.