The best traffic-free bike rides around Montreuil

The church of La Chapelle-Forainvilliers, dedicated to Saint Martin, is a charming little building of uniform appearance which occupies the center of the village. Attested from 1080, the church, in its current state, does not seem to date back further than the 14th century and it most certainly underwent significant restorations in the 16th century. Some work was carried out in the 19th century, notably on the gable wall of the facade or inside which was redesigned according to the taste of the time. With a very simple plan, the church consists of a single nave ending in a semi-circular apse. It is lit by numerous bays which reveal successive interventions. The southern facade has semicircular openings in the second and third bays, openings which were reworked in the 19th century, and others, wider and higher in pointed arches, in the first and fourth bays; The carefully executed moldings bear witness to the 16th century work campaigns. One of the openings in the apse has a clasp in its upper keystone, probably installed in the 18th century. In the 19th century, a false stonework was designed across the entire nave; the furniture dates from this period. The church is covered with a pleasing roof of flat tiles that contrasts with the slate roof of the bell tower, whose slender profile allows the church to be distinguished from afar. The work to cover the bell tower was necessary and in 1994 the Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a grant of 15,000 francs. Unfortunately, the significant damage to the framework soon became apparent during the work. The Sauvegarde de l'Art Français (French Art Protection Agency) awarded a further grant of 100,000 francs for the repair of the bell tower framework in 1996.

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.

The current church was almost entirely rebuilt in 1542 on Gothic foundations. The Gothic church was reportedly destroyed in 1424 by the English. According to legend, Saint Lubin, Bishop of Chartres, came to rest in this place, which housed a recluse inhabited by a monk. A chapel was built there towards the end of the 6th century.

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.

Very beautiful pond

Just a stone's throw from Dreux, the Écluzelles lake stretches through the heart of a vast, protected natural area. Popular with windsurfers and paddleboarders, it offers a pleasant setting for strolling along its tranquil banks.

Built in the 15th century on the foundations of a chapel whose origins can be traced back to a papal bull from Pope Alexander in 1142, Saint Apollonia was worshipped there.