The best road cycling routes around La Forêt-Du-Parc

Eure Valley :-)

The nave and aisles were built in the mid-16th century, probably at the same time as the funerary chapel of Diane de Poitiers. The apse belongs to a 12th or 13th century building, the interior of which was restored in the 16th century.

The construction of the original church of Sorel dates back to the 10th century. In 1113, this church was destroyed during the siege of the fortress of Sorel by the troops of Henry VIII of England coming from Normandy. Its identical reconstruction was unfortunately halted by a fire in 1134. The current church was rebuilt starting in the 13th century, with the chevet completed in the 15th century, and the first two bays of the nave and the northern seigneurial chapel in the 16th century. The bell tower was built in the 17th century by blinding a window. The building is constructed of flint, lime, and white stone on a sandstone base. The upper part is made of Vernon stone. The tiled roof is supported by a beautiful rafter frame whose tie beams are decorated with chimera heads, also called "howling devils." In the choir, the 19th-century altar recalls medieval sculptures. An interesting collection of stained-glass windows dating from 1850. After extensive renovations, masses have been celebrated again since 2007.

The first mention of the existence of the Church of Saint-Martin de Nonancourt is a 12th-century charter, but the original building probably dates back to the 7th or 8th century. The bell tower that now occupies the middle of the façade dates from the reconstructions of 1204. During the Hundred Years' War, the church was largely destroyed, like many buildings in the region. The side aisles, nave, and choir were rebuilt in the 16th century. The Chapel of the Virgin, also known as the Chapel of the Rosary, was also added. The Church of Saint-Martin contains numerous works of art, some of which are listed: neo-Gothic and Renaissance furnishings, including the centerpiece, the pulpit, a veritable wooden lacework; a variety of statuary, a 16th-century organ case and finally an enigmatic fresco discovered during recent works in 2001. The stained-glass windows of the church constitute a truly remarkable collection, both in terms of their number (26 in total) and their quality. The lower windows of the nave are the oldest pieces, dating from the 1500s, while the upper windows date from the 1520s and 1530s.

very beautiful view of the castle

A very beautiful greenway It's an old railway line that has been covered over; it used to go all the way to Dreux. We love going there for cycling, and it's also ideal for walking and rollerblading.

In the summer heat, the church offers a wonderful shady spot on the north side.

The existence of the parish of Droisy, dedicated to Saint Martin, is attested from the earliest days of the conversion of the Gauls. In the 10th century, the Counts of Chartres and Blois donated this church to the Abbey of Saint-Lomer de Blois, which preserved it until the French Revolution. Rectangular in plan, the building was built of flint in the 13th century. From this period, the western doorway, with its pointed arch and double row of beveled keystones, the two arched and beveled windows located to the north of the nave, and the large pointed bay window of the flat chevet, whose tracery has disappeared, still survive. The inverted keel vault dates from 1656. In 1785, the south wall of the nave was partially rebuilt in flint blocks with quoins and arched brick windows. During the same restoration campaign, the quadrangular bell tower with an octagonal spire, which surmounts the roof to the west of the nave, was rebuilt. A porch precedes the portal. The church retains some interesting furnishings. The high altar is particularly noteworthy. It was probably made in 1765 by Ildevert Canteloup, a master carpenter from Saint-Germain-sur-Avre. Columns with Corinthian capitals frame a painting illustrating the theme of the "charity of Saint Martin." The two side altars, arranged slightly obliquely, are of the same style. The northern one is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and the southern one to Saint Sebastian. The communion table and the woodwork separating the choir from the sacristy were also executed in the 18th century. The seigneurial pew of Charles du Buc-Richard dates from the 17th century. A wealth of statuary completes this ensemble. Some decorative fresco motifs remain. For the roof repair work, the Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a grant of 17,000 francs in 1997.