Walk to Burdignes via the forest trail

Park next to the school, in a well-maintained car park with picnic tables and a water tap.

(S/E) Head towards the church and follow the D22 to the stone cross.

(1) Leave the road and take the dirt track opposite, passing through the first gate. Walk steadily up this grassy track until you reach the second gate. You’ll come to a small road; turn left onto it and follow it for about fifty metres.

(2) Turn onto the path that climbs to the right, through the forest, and then descends to Montpénan, arriving at the entrance to the hamlet.

(3) Immediately turn onto the path that climbs up to the left. Follow the edge of the woodland and, at the fork in the paths, turn right, then follow the path down through the woodland to a wide track. Take this track to the right, towards Béchetoile, until you reach the D22.

(4) Cross it carefully and continue along the track opposite for about 1 km. Take the small path that climbs to the right and joins a forest track; follow this to the right for 50 m.

(5) Climb the dirt track on the right and carry on straight ahead until you reach the D29 road to Burdignes. Follow it to the right, taking care, for 300 m uphill.

(6) Turn left towards the hamlet of Les Granges, walk through it and follow the grassy path uphill to a gate, which you should close properly behind you. Continue straight on until you reach a yellow-marked post, about a hundred metres away. Turn left, following the embankment, until you reach the post, then turn right at a 90° angle, and continue straight on towards a second gate. (This description is provided by the Pilat Park, but in our case, we lost the path from the yellow-marked post as the field had just been completely ploughed. We didn’t see the path and didn’t turn left. We walked straight across the field, reached the woodland, and then rejoined the signposted path.)

(7) Follow the path until you reach Burdignes on the right. You’ll pass by an old wash house. It was here that a lime tree, known as the ‘Sully’ tree, was planted during the reign of Henry IV. After 400 years, it died and was felled in 2014. You’ll return to the car park where you started (S/E).