From shore to village

Departure from the car park in front of the Tour pond (Vieille-Eglise).

From the hydraulic complex created in the XNUMXth century to the simple ecological richness, the Etang de la Tour offers more than one asset. Landscapes, fauna, flora are remarkable. Add to that a detour through the old heart of the equally attractive village and you will have discovered the trappings of Vieille-Eglise!

Head south! Start your walk by following the bank to the left.

Built in 1685 in the heart of the south-west massif of the Rambouillet forest, the Etang de la Tour is part of the hydraulic complex of ponds and channels, then intended to supply the water games and the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. Covering an area of ​​17 hectares, it is the highest and the most upstream of the network, it is fed by the channel of Saint-Benoît.

Its waters flow either towards La Drouette in the south, or towards the pond of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in the north, by the great bed of rivers: a network of 34 km channels, including 23 km of underground aqueducts .

We will come back to stroll along the pond on the way back from this walk. Under the trees, spaces equipped with benches and tables will allow you to picnic in the shade, at your ease. Boating, swimming, various cleanings are however prohibited. And fishing, as in any public aquatic area, is subject to compliance with the rules in force and the possession of a permit. Immediately, the path takes you on the road to the Yveline forest.

After the southern dyke, turn right (blue arrows). At 150 m, take the left path along a electric line. Continue straight for about 400 m, then right at the crossroads marked “21-26”.

The path, initially wide, is dominated by oaks then by a few birches whose white trunks seem to flower the undergrowth. Further on, ash trees with symmetrical leaves accompany your steps until you come out of the woods; They are succeeded by a lower hedge which delimits a field. At the left end of it stands the Clairbois farm, which has become an equestrian centre, which can be seen between the open bushes.

A low barrier closes the end of the path. Step over it and head right on the road that runs alongside the clinic.
At 400 m, place de l'Aqueduc where you will find a small fountain, take the path on the left, path under which is built the underground aqueduct connecting the waters of the pond of the Tower to the pond of Perray.

At 650 m, you cross the impasse de Clerambault, which you turn right (depending on the time, the sound of the bells may as well guide you!). It is from this bridge that the channel leaves its underground to flow in the open air in a wide canal bordered by open paths and shady trees. The impasse leads to the main street, which you take to the right.

Here you are at the foot of the Saint-Gilles church, rebuilt in 1561 according to a fairly simple architecture, with a flat apse.
The square bell tower is attached to the portal decorated with the sculpted coat of arms of the abbots of Clairefontaine. In the church, windows dating from the beginning of the 1862th century illustrate the faces of their donors. A magnificent copy of Titian's entombment, made in XNUMX by JM Braille, had been offered by Napoleon III at the time of the feast of the Assumption.

The Emperor granted once a year to the parishes who requested it, works of art (religious reproductions) commissioned from young artists.

Opposite the church stands the town hall-school, built in 1879 with the stones of the old farm which was located there.
All of these buildings truly make up the center of the village of Vieille-Eglise, which stretches along the main street, rue de l'étang de la Tour, which brings us back to the lake. The old habitat of this street affirms the rural identity of the town. However, the regular facades of large buildings contrast with the more modest neighboring mansions.

The street still offers some interesting features before approaching the pond. A wooden cross, facing the rue d'Auffargis, punctuated a place of halt during the processions. The old pump located a few meters away works but be careful, its water is not drinkable.

You will appreciate even a little further an external decoration present on some old houses of the
Regional natural park: the rockery. It appears here in a particular form: rather than the usual shards of flint or millstone, small pebbles have been embedded in the rose-colored mortar.

The wet wasteland bordering the pond has significant ecological wealth. Tall grasses dotted with flowering plants, and reedbeds are home to various species of marsh birds. The fearless great crested grebe can even float a few meters from you.

The reed bunting will be observed from further away. And patience (possibly helped by binoculars) will allow you to witness the majestic flight of gray herons, some of which have chosen a pied-à-terre on the opposite bank.