Sente des Rivières parkMontivilliers (76)

In Montivilliers, between the Lézarde river and the railway, a stretch of gardens and groves is waiting to open up to the town. The project turns it into a garden park that looks out over the valley: from its paths, the eye travels to the hillsides and the bell tower of the abbey. The Sente des Rivières, an already popular path, becomes the backbone of the park and extends into a great loop around the basin.

The park is organised into three habitats that work together. The shared gardens follow the pattern of the existing allotments, keep the fruit trees, hawthorns and willows, and open up to everyone. A large natural meadow offers room to breathe, for picnics or lying in the grass. The wet valley reconnects with water: reed beds, sedge meadows, willow thickets and a string of ponds welcome dragonflies, water birds and riverbank flora. The spring is brought back to light; visitors cross it on stepping stones before it reaches the canal over a small cascade.

Small timber structures in oak and larch punctuate the walks: a gardeners’ hut, observation huts on the islands of the wet valley, and a tower offering a view over the valley. They tell the story of the wildlife and plants of the Lézarde and become meeting places.

At the western entrance, a timber play garden sits among the groves of the spring, facing a fitness trail open to adults, seniors and people with reduced mobility. The sporting path offers resting points, picnic areas and views over the flowing water.