Short circular loop around Sainte-Croix de Beaumont

Parking is available near the castle (shaded spaces).

(S/E) In front of the church, situated slightly below the castle, follow the road leading up towards the castle. At the junction with the Route de la Forge, turn right and continue to the turn-off for Les Prieurs.

(1) Head right towards the small hamlet of Les Prieurs and walk through it.

(2) After the last houses, when the road turns at a right angle, take a path on the left, signposted^GR®, and head down through the woods towards the bottom of the hill.

(3) Near the hamlet of La Forge, at the Y-junction, follow the road on the left towards Sainte-Croix to climb up the hillside.

(4) After a little over 1 km of fairly gentle climbing, you’ll come to a junction on the right leading to a dirt and gravel track that descends once more towards the bottom of a small valley, skirting the castle grounds. Follow this track until you reach the junction with a tarmac road, signposted^GR®.

(5) Turn sharply left, leaving the^GR® to take the road that climbs gently towards Sainte-Croix. Walk alongside the park to reach the main road, which leads back to the D660.
Turn left and, at the junction marked with a cross, keep left to return to the starting point (S/E).

You can take a shortcut at point (1), which will halve the length of the walk.
Instead of heading towards Les Prieurs, carry on straight ahead for 700 m to reach the point (4) and rejoin this route to go round the castle.

There are no water points or shelters along the route.
Mostly on tarmac, and the section on a track is in fairly good condition; take care in wet weather, as the stones can be quite slippery.
In short, even basic walking shoes are sufficient for a short walk.

The Church of Sainte-Croix in Sainte-Croix de Beaumont; a listed 12th-century building.
The priory, opposite the church – an imposing three-storey building, though in rather poor condition – is not open to the public.
The 17th-century castle is not open to visitors.