Millières: Heathland, Water and Church History

If you’re looking for a hotel in Millières, two very different travel interests can help you plan: nature and heathland at Lac des Bruyères, or local history reflected in Chapelle Saint-Roch and Église Saint-Etienne.

Heathland, Water and Trails

At Lac des Bruyères, a 30-hectare site stretches across heathland, heather and gorse; 10 hectares of it are covered by water. The site was created on a former sand quarry. On Les landes de Millières, you can discover two types of heathland around the lake and a former sand quarry: low-growing heath and heathland wooded with pines. The route offers an opportunity to notice the different appearances of the heathland.

Les landes de Millières is an easy 6.1-kilometre walking route with a stated duration of 2 hours and 15 minutes. The distance and duration can help you fit this walk into your day’s plans. At the Sentier d'interprétation du Lac des Bruyères, you can visit a former sand extraction site within a 9-hectare heathland area with 4 hectares of water. The Sentier d'interprétation is signposted from the D900 between Périers and Lessay. In proportion to the total area, the share covered by water is greater in the 9-hectare heathland area at the Sentier than in the 30-hectare site at Lac.

There are two trails at Lac des Bruyères, one of which is accessible to people with reduced mobility. Informative, interactive panels offer insights into the local flora and information about local fauna. Facilities at the lake include shelters, picnic tables, children’s play equipment, a boules court and dry toilets. Visitor facilities may change; if a particular facility is important to your plans, check its current status in advance.

Churches and Local History

Chapelle Saint-Roch was built in the 15th century and is associated with a local legend about a vow made during the plague. Its Gothic features include a ribbed vault, with intersecting ribs dividing the ceiling, as well as pointed arches and pointed-arch windows. The chapel is on Rue St Roch, 400 metres from the town hall. Restoration work may affect access; check whether the chapel is open before your visit.

Église Saint-Etienne stands in the town centre on a 52-metre-high hill. The earlier church dated from the 15th century and was bombed and completely destroyed in July 1944. It was rebuilt from October 1959 to 26 September 1961, when the church was inaugurated. Its location in the town centre is thus linked to a clear sequence of earlier building history, destruction and reconstruction.

Discover more destinations: Précey, Pirou, Saint-Pair-Sur-Mer, Omonville-La-Petite, Moulines, Tanis, La Baleine, Geffosses

For the overview of the wider area: Manche.