Around the Château de Coudray-Salbart

Park in one of the car parks at Château de Coudray-Salbart

(S/E) Leave the main road and, at the bend, take the small road to Mauzay which runs alongside the Sèvre Niortaise towards the wash house and the picnic area. Just after the wash house, leave the road and walk along the river. Join the road a little further on via a metal staircase. The road bypasses Mauzay on the right (large town house and its outbuildings) and leads to the pumping station.

(1) After the pumping station, leave the road on the right which leads to farm buildings and continue straight on along a dirt track for about 1.5 km until you reach a small road.

(2) Turn left onto the small road and left again onto the D107. After the second bridge, about 420 m on, turn left onto the^GR®36after the house at Gué Moreau and continue along the banks of the Sèvre Niortaise.

(3) At the junction with Rue du Moulin Neuf, turn left. Note the wash house immediately after on the left and continue along the dirt track running parallel to the Sèvre Niortaise.

(4) Turn left, cross the bridge and then, directly opposite, take the path that climbs up to the foot of the castle. At the top, turn right into Impasse du Peu.

(5) Turn left onto Chemin des Hauts de Salbart. At the end, continue along the shaded path that descends towards the Fontaine Braye.

(6) Turn left into Rue de la Fontaine Braye, then immediately right, walk past the fountain and continue along the small road, turning left immediately after the house onto a path that climbs over slippery exposed rocks.

(7) Turn right onto Grand' Rue de Ternanteuil and continue for about 150 m.

(8) Turn right into the passage between the houses to head down towards the forest. (^GR®36) After a steep descent, continue along the path which sometimes merges with the stream bed. Further on, after a sharp left-hand bend, the path climbs back up towards the fields and joins a dirt track not far from the motorway.

(9) Leave the^GR®36here by turning left to return to the fork you passed on the way out.

(8) Continue straight on towards the village of Ternanteuil.

(7) Turn right onto Rue de la Rouère, then left and left again onto Route de Sainte-Ouenne to return to Grand'Rue de Ternanteuil. Take this road to the right.

(10) Turn left down Rue de la Fontaine Braye.

(11) Just before the bend, before the 50 km/h sign, take the path on the right that runs between the garden fences. After a short, slightly rough descent, walk across the meadow heading to the right, not far from a small stream. (Horses may be present) Pass the first fence, then, keeping close to the stream, go through a gate and head for the car park (S/E).

After point (11), the route crosses a meadow where there may be horses. A sign indicates their possible presence and absolves the owner of any liability. They are not wild as they are accustomed to people passing by. To avoid this section of the route, continue straight on at point (10), then turn left onto Rue de la Bisseterie and, after a steep descent, turn left again to reach the car park (S/E)

During periods of heavy rain, the section through the valley after the point (8) may be flooded, as may the path between points (3) and (4).

This route partly follows the^GR®36and the^PR® de Mélusine along the banks of the Sèvre.
It is a variation on the ‘Au bord de la Sèvre Niortaise’ route to Échiré

- The Château du Coudray-Salbart. (S/E) (Open to visitors during the holidays).
- The Salbart wash house and the banks of the Sèvre Niortaise in the first part of the route.
- A few beautiful houses in the villages of La Fontaine Braye and Ternanteuil.