The magical places of the Terroir de Caux | Quiberville-sur-Mer and Auffay Tourist Office

Cross of Sainte-Apolline, Ouville-la-Rivière

La Croix St Leonard, Bacqueville-en-Caux

#1

Calvaries with unsuspected powers

Numerous calvaries stand on the paths of the territory, some of which are surprising, to say the least, such as the Croix de Sainte Apolline in Ouville-la-Rivière where ribbons are laid down while praying to the saint to cure headaches or toothaches. The statue dedicated to this same saint in the church in Saint-Mards also has ribbons for the same reasons. At the Croix de Saint-Léonard in Bacqueville-en-Caux, it is traditional for parents of young children to go around three times with their baby in their arms before laying down a ribbon for the child to walk early. As for the statue of Saint-Christophe in Omonville, it will protect motorists. A procession still takes place there every year. You can experience these legends and other folk tales of the Pays de Caux during the storytelling walks and tours we organize every year!

#2

Miraculous fountains

In the hamlet of Varvannes in Val-de-Saâne is a special place reserved for walkers who will take the GR 212 or our Boucle des Sources de la Saâne à la Coutûre, accessible from the center of Val-de-Saâne…

This place is the Fontaine Saint-Sulpice. It is very close to here that the sources of the Saâne, our coastal river that meets the sea at Quiberville, are located. And it’s a place that has to be earned! There is no parking nearby but on both sides of the river there is a small section of the GR 212© to walk. You can park at the church of Saint-Sulpice de Varvannes and then go down through the woods to join the GR, follow the path from the small church of La Fontelaye, or follow the same GR 212© at the end of the rue des Amis de la Nature from the center of Val-de-Saâne. In all three cases you will walk along the Saâne river until you reach the Fontaine. The altar built at its foot in the 15th century is made of bricks and houses a statue of Saint-Sulpice, reputed to cure skin ailments…

And for the little anecdote, my little one having skin problems, I tested it myself… without much success, but it seems that its water would be effective against warts! It won’t cost anything to try! Another of its virtues would be to help children to walk. One thing is for sure is that many local kids have used it to cool their feet on hot summer days!

The Saint-Ribert Fountain in Anneville-sur-Scie, dated 1814 but undoubtedly older as for it was frequented for its virtues on skin diseases, intestinal or tongue. Another fountain dedicated to Saint-Ribert existed in Torcy-le-Grand.