A stroll through Ormois

Park in the car park near the town hall, on Rue de la Chevretterie.

(S/E) Opposite the hiking sign, turn left, then immediately left again onto Rue de la Chevretterie and follow it to the traffic lights. Cross the road and head up towards the bridge over the railway line.

(1) At the end of the bridge, head down the path on the right to join the^GR®655.

(2) Follow the railway line, then pass the silo and head out into the countryside along a gravel track. After a climb, you’ll reach a road.

(3) Turn left towards Poizay, ignoring the hamlet of La Mardelle. Turn right onto the^first grassy track and climb gently through open country, enjoying unobstructed views, notably of the spire of the village of Dangé-Saint-Romain. Pass some buildings (Vaugaudin) and then arrive at the outer wall of the Château de Fontaine.

(4) Follow the wall to the left, with a view of the village of Saint-Sulpice further on. In front of the château’s main entrance, turn left towards the pretty village and its evocative street names. At the village entrance sign, head up the main street of this former commune.

(5) At the foot of the square, leave the^GR®655and head straight ahead, then turn left onto the Chemin de la Garde, a pleasant sandy path leading out into the countryside. At the three-way junction, take the stonier path down to the left and you’ll reach a cross-path.

(6) Take in the sweeping panorama, turn left and rejoin the road. Leave the path on your left and walk past the Petit Dumeray farmhouse. Ponds and old buildings line the road all the way to Poizay.

(7) At the hamlet, take a break at the wash house with its picnic area. Then walk past a cross on the left and an information board about the village, before crossing the adjacent streets. Leave Poizay by heading up the road.

(8) Ignore the road on the left leading to Bois Pouzin and the next one on the right heading for La Bataillerie, then climb an old gravel road. At the top of the hill, turn left, skirting a copse. At the pleasant bend, there’s a viewpoint offering a view of the village of Les Ormes and its imposing château. Join the D1a, Rue de Madrid.

(9) Cross it and head towards a wood. Walk back down alongside a pond, enjoying another view of the villages around Tours and numerous water towers, until you reach a three-way junction.

(10) Join the^GR®655. Turn sharply left onto it, heading towards Les Ormes. Keep very carefully to the left-hand side of the road and walk down to Bois Pouzin.

(11) Then turn right at the bus shelter on Rue de Madrid, then right onto Route du Bois Pouzin (D1a). At the three-way junction, keep to the right to reach the starting point bridge.

(1) Cross the bridge, then cross the departmental road and continue along Rue de la Chevretterie until you reach the start of the walk sign (S/E).

Bakeries.
Full-service grocery shop.
Caterers.
Restaurants.
Campsite.

Places to visit: Château des Ormes, La Poste aux chevaux, the church, heritage trail, Musée de la Falaise.
Nearby: Marmande Tower, the troglodyte village of Saint-Rémy-sur-Creuse.