On the edge of the woods from Volnay

de fr

The name Val-de-la-Hune, adopted at the time of the merger, refers to the location of the two villages situated in the valley at the confluence of the Ruisseau de l’Arche and the Hune. The area has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by the dolmen on the border with Tresson, dating from the Neolithic period, and the ancient road, the Via Turniacensis, linking Le Mans to Blois; passing through Volnay and Saint-Mars-de-Locquenay before heading towards the Loir Valley. This facilitated the development of large agricultural estates, explaining the presence of numerous fiefdoms in medieval times, of which few remains are left (Champion, Pois, Le Grand Yvay, Mélève, Sargilet), with the exception of La Chesnaye, which incorporated most of them during the Modern Era (16th–18th centuries).

Details

n°97706654
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
–
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.34 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 502 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 492 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 489 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 276 ft
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Sheep grazing

Description of the walk

Park at Place de l'Église.

(S/E) From the square, head east towards Saint-Mars-de-Locquenay on the D90. Turn left after the housing estate. Cross the arch and you’ll reach a road

(1) Turn right, follow the edge of the woodland and continue to the D65 Saint-Mars / Bouloire.

(2) Turn left and then take the first sunken lane on the left. Pass Le Petit Châtaignier and reach a road at a place called La Coulonnerie. For an alternative route, you can turn left.

(3) Otherwise, continue to the right, passing through La Vallée by taking the first turn left then right. When you reach a road, continue to the right and then take the path on the right at a place called La Taille.

(4) Turn right in front of the Laire farm, then left onto the path through the fields towards the copse. When you reach Maison Neuve, turn left and cross the road towards La Ferronnière.

(5) Take the path on the right after the farm. Follow the signposts. Towards Les Lutières, keep left twice, follow the path which turns right and continue along the Chemin de la Saulaie before crossing a road.

(6) Head straight ahead, pass under a power line and, towards Gué de Forge, turn right, then immediately left until you reach the next road, which you follow to the D33.

(7) Cross it carefully and take the path opposite at each junction until you reach Moulin du Frêne.

(8) Opposite the mill, turn left into the woods, continue straight on and at the 120m mark, turn left towards the crossroads.

(9) Take the road on the left and turn right twice. Pass the farms Le Tremblay, Le Verger and La Grande Bouverie and come out onto a road.

(10) Turn right towards Les Bouveries, then left. Pass Maison Neuve.

(11) Turn right and then left, towards Les Crochets. Turn left again, then keep right until you reach a road.

(12) Cross it and take the path opposite, cross the stone bridge over the River Hune, go left, then turn right after the power line. Pass Le Grand Carreau and arrive at the D90.

(13) Cross it carefully, take the path opposite, pass Les Villenettes on your right and arrive at a Fork in the road in a small wood.

(14) Take the sharp left-hand bend and head towards Le Grand Gruet.

(15) Turn right towards Le Petit Gruet and cross the farmyard. Turn left and rejoin the D90 near the hamlet of Beauséjour.

(16) Follow it to the right and join the Route du Grand Lucé D33. Turn left towards Volnay, then turn right onto Rue Principale D90 to reach Place de l'Église (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 335 ft - Place de l'Église - Arche (ruisseau) - Affluent de la Hune
  2. 1 : mi 0.49 - alt. 354 ft - Route
  3. 2 : mi 1.23 - alt. 364 ft - D65
  4. 3 : mi 1.87 - alt. 423 ft - Route
  5. 4 : mi 2.65 - alt. 469 ft - La Laire
  6. 5 : mi 3.65 - alt. 433 ft - La Ferronnière
  7. 6 : mi 4.27 - alt. 344 ft - Route
  8. 7 : mi 5.28 - alt. 315 ft - D33
  9. 8 : mi 6.46 - alt. 276 ft - Moulin du Frêne
  10. 9 : mi 8.05 - alt. 413 ft - The Crossroads
  11. 10 : mi 8.75 - alt. 377 ft - Crossroads
  12. 11 : mi 9.16 - alt. 446 ft - Junction after Maison Neuve
  13. 12 : mi 10.41 - alt. 338 ft - Route
  14. 13 : mi 11.04 - alt. 371 ft - D90
  15. 14 : mi 11.77 - alt. 466 ft - Fork in the road
  16. 15 : mi 12.17 - alt. 423 ft - Le Grand Gruet
  17. 16 : mi 12.93 - alt. 338 ft - D90
  18. S/E : mi 13.34 - alt. 335 ft - Place de l'Église - Arche (ruisseau) - Affluent de la Hune

Notes

  • Yellow markings.
  • 16% tarmac.
  • Variations available to download from our website.
  • Connects to the Saint-Mars-de-Locquenay and Surfonds route.

Map and full route description available in the Perche Sarthois Hiking Guide (50 routes). On sale at Perche Sarthois tourist offices for €10.

Worth a visit

  • Saint-Vincent Church (12th,16th and18th centuries).
  • Wash house.
  • The Tremblay and Beauvais farms.
  • La Vallée (traditional settlement).
  • Sargilet Manor (15th–16th century, private).
  • La Chaussée (17th century, private).
  • Oak trees.

Other walks in the area

Walking Les Sapins des Pauvres

Tourism professional
Les Sapins des Pauvres
↔11.37 mi ↗+302 ft ↘-289 ft ◔5h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Mars-de-Locquenay (Sarthe)
The name adopted at the time of the merger refers to the location of the two villages situated in the valley at the confluence of the Arche and Hune streams. The area has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by the dolmen on the border with Tresson, dating from the Neolithic period, and the ancient road – the Via Turniacensis – linking Le Mans to Blois; passing through Volnay and Saint-Mars-de-Locquenay before heading towards the Loir Valley. This facilitated the development of large agricultural estates, explaining the presence of numerous fiefdoms in medieval times, of which few traces remain (Champion, Pois, Le Grand Yvay, Mèleve, Sargilet), with the exception of La Chesnaye, which incorporated most of them during the Modern Era (16th–18th centuries).

Walking The Sourice Valley

Tourism professional
La Vallée de la Sourice
↔6.31 mi ↗+203 ft ↘-190 ft ◔3h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Surfonds (Sarthe)
The parish underwent a re-demarcation in 1836: certain farms such as La Bardouillère and houses in the village were part of Volnay. Since then, the south-eastern boundary has been formed by the Ruisseau la Sourice. Under the Ancien Régime, the parish seigneury was annexed to the Château du Coudray, which you will see to the right of the hill as you head towards La Bardouillère. The village still has traditional houses near the church; it has gradually expanded towards the crossing point over the Sourice, where the roads from Surfonds to Bouloire and from Le Breil to Volnay used to meet, later transformed inthe 19th century into the main road from Tuffé to Le Grand-Lucé.

Walking On the Via Turniacensis in Maisoncelles

Tourism professional
Sur la Via Turniacensis à Maisoncelles
↔5.48 mi ↗+82 ft ↘-82 ft ◔2h 35 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Maisoncelles (Sarthe) (Sarthe)
The village of Maisoncelles, described as a ‘street village’, has developed linearly along the road linking Bouloire to Tresson and Écorpain, running perpendicular to the Ruisseau de l’Étangsort. Although difficult to date precisely, the imposing Church of Notre-Dame, possibly dating back to the Romanesque period, is undoubtedly the oldest building in the village. You can, however, see typical rural features from theThird Republic, such as the public pump at the foot of the church. Heading towards the cemetery, you will see on the right the old communal washhouse, recently converted to welcome walkers, and further up, a former school recognisable by its two-storey structure and brick window frames.

Walking Loudon Ponds and Wood

Visorando Member
↔2.56 mi ↗+177 ft ↘-171 ft ◔1h 20 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Parigné-l'Évêque (Sarthe)
This circular walk allows you to discover a site not far from Le Mans that is rich in natural beauty. Ponds, peat bogs, wet and dry heathland, and marshy woods... all form a mosaic of landscapes that are home to species rare in the region: harriers, hobby falcons, goshawks, purple herons (among the birds); and royal ferns, marsh marigolds and sundews (among the plants).

Walking Discovering the woods and ponds of Loudon

Visorando Member
À la découverte des bois et des étangs de Loudon
↔4.85 mi ↗+36 ft ↘-36 ft ◔2h 15 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Mars-la-Brière (Sarthe)
Parigné-Lévêque is a very large and heavily wooded commune: northern pines with sand dunes, and southern chestnut and birch trees. The route allows you to discover the charm of numerous woodlands, vast moors and ponds. The Loudon Stream is crossed in several places.

Walking In the footsteps of Gohan in Bouloire

Tourism professional
Sur les pas du Gohan à Bouloire
↔10.05 mi ↗+486 ft ↘-509 ft ◔5h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bouloire (Sarthe)
Bouloire is nestled in the heart of a vast, hilly agricultural region crossed by the Dué and Tortue rivers. Human presence along the ancient road between Le Mans and Orléans is attested to by a coin dating back to the Merovingian period. Its name comes either from a Celtic place name meaning "fortification" or from an etymology meaning "between two coasts ". The town centre is rich in ancient architectural heritage. The Church of Saint-Georges, destroyed by a fire that ravaged the village in 1680, bears the coat of arms of Marshal Guillaume Testu de Balincourt, who enabled its reconstruction. The town's coat of arms is also linked to this figure.

Walking The Pescheray Estate

Tourism professional
Le Domaine de Pescheray
↔7.19 mi ↗+174 ft ↘-174 ft ◔3h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Le Breil-sur-Mérize (Sarthe)
Le Breil and Nuillé are two villages of ancient origin. In the Middle Ages, Le Breil, or Breuil, was a seigneurial hunting ground. Nuillé, first mentioned in the9th century, still has a small Romanesque church.

Walking The Étangsort Valley towards Tresson

Tourism professional
La Vallée de l'Étangsort vers Tresson
↔8.68 mi ↗+348 ft ↘-351 ft ◔4h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Tresson (Sarthe)
The origins of the settlement of Tresson are very ancient, as evidenced by a dolmen situated not far from Les Basses Poches. Furthermore, the territory of Tresson is crossed by the Via Turniacensis, near which a large agricultural estate is recorded in 572. This villa was donated by Bishop Domnole to Saint-Vincent Abbey, which established a priory in Tresson. This combination of factors led to the development of the present-day village in the Étangsort valley.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.