Quiz walk: “Through our stories in Saint-Sornin”

Park in the sports hall car park.

(S/E) Take Route du Stade to the right, heading south towards the Puydossus neighbourhood. Pass the children’s playground on your right and a street library (a nod to our old telephone boxes), and the orchard with its boules court on the left. Carry on until the next junction and continue straight ahead, towards Les Combes. Enter the hamlet, staying on the main road.

(1) At the four-way junction, take Route du Cormier on the right. At the end, continue right until you reach the old Saint-Sornin station (this is private property, please respect the site).

(2) From the old station, continue along this road and, at the “Give Way” sign, turn left and then, immediately, take the road on the right (the one closed to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, near the bus shelter). At the three-way junction that follows, keep left on this road surrounded by fields and you will arrive in a residential area.

(3) At the “Give Way” sign, turn right, keeping to the right-hand kerb (be careful, there is heavy traffic on this road). Walk a few metres and cross at the pedestrian crossing to take the path opposite, which passes in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. Continue along the path and, at the end, turn left onto the road. Walk past some commercial premises and, a little further on, you’ll see an orchard (the orchard and its pond were created in 2025 to promote biodiversity. Among the animals you may spot are the grey heron and the moorhen).

(4) From the orchard, join the track that runs alongside the main road, then take the path branching off to the right. Continue walking until you see, on your right, a small area with picnic tables and an old well (just before a fork in the path). It is built on a plot of land measuring around 70 m², donated by two families to the residents of the village of Les Chaumes. A legal curiosity means that every homeowner in Les Chaumes effectively becomes a co-owner of their well.

(5) Continue straight on towards Les Chaumes. At the junction, admire a magnificent, remarkable oak tree (circumference 534 cm, estimated age 350 to 420 years). Then turn right onto the D392 (caution: busy road). Pass through the hamlet of La Paix. At the junction, head straight on and pass the Couret pony club.

(6) Enter the hamlet of Le Couret and, at the junction, turn right. At the next junction, take the road on the left and, at the end, look out for a second magnificent tree (this oak has a circumference of 444 cm, making it approximately 280 to 350 years old).

(7) From the tree, turn right (towards Saint-Sornin) then take the first left. Continue straight on and stop when you reach another junction with a magnificent view (if the weather is clear, you can see Larochefoucauld Castle in the distance, also known as ‘the Pearl of Angoumois’).

(8) Facing the château, turn round and head straight on along the main road. Enter the hamlet of La Faurie, pass the house at No. 11 (on your right) and, right at the end of its low wall, you’ll see an old wash house (please note: private property). Continue straight on, crossing the hamlet until you reach a junction.

(9) Take the road on the right and then immediately the one on the left, and climb the small hill until you reach a junction. On your left, you’ll see a small building. This is the Chapel of Saint-Roch. Built in^{the 13th} century, it stands on what is known as the Chemin des Anglais, a route much used in the Middle Ages by pilgrims heading for Santiago de Compostela (about a 10-day walk) or Saintes (about a 1-day walk).

(10) Opposite the chapel, take the road leading down to the right. At the junction, keep left, continue straight ahead and cross the woods. On emerging, return to a tarmac road and arrive at a junction. Turn right and follow this road to the crossroads at the entrance to the hamlet of La Fenêtre.

(11) Take the road on the left; at the junction, continue straight ahead, and at the next one, take the road on the left. Head down to the crossroads at the end. Turn right, then keep left onto the main road. Further on, you’ll reach the panoramic viewpoint on your left: La Fenêtre. It was opened in 2009. As you can read on the sign to the right, here you’ll find information about the prehistoric occupation of the Tardoire Valley and the various artefacts and traces of human activity.

(12) From the viewpoint, continue along the road towards Saint-Sornin. At the next junction, take the Route du Mas on the right. At the following junction, turn right, then continue straight on and follow the road down to the small cottage on the right (this is a water collection point: Saint-Sornin has numerous wells, five wash houses and no fewer than seven springs. Among them are Gros Bonnet, the Fontaine des Champs and the Fontaine des Putes). Continue straight on.

(13) At the three-way junction, turn left, cross the woods and pass through the vineyards (although many visitors associate the Charente with Cognac or Pineau, the wines of Saint-Sornin have their own enthusiasts, with grapes grown on sunny slopes that yield lovely notes of red fruit and a beautiful roundness) and arrive in the Michelots district. This is one of the oldest hamlets in Saint-Sornin, where excavations have uncovered artefacts (pottery, tiles, etc.) dating back to the Gallo-Roman period.

(14) Turn left and then take the first right, Rue des Michelots, which is just after a “Stop” sign. Continue straight on through the hamlet of Les Michelots until you reach the junction with Route de Mazerolles. Turn left and follow the road until you see the church bell tower, your next stop. At the junction, take the no-entry road (except for parking) on the right to reach the church forecourt.

(15) Facing the church entrance, turn round, head right then take Route de Marillac on the left, quickly, towards Saint-Sornin. Then take the first street on the right, then the first street on the left, Chemin du Vieux Bourg. Follow it to the end, then turn left, then right onto Chemin de la Galoche (this refers to a wooden shoe or light clog, often used by farmers or craftsmen to protect their feet from mud and damp. There used to be a galoche-maker’s workshop on this street). Follow Chemin de la Galoche to the end to reach the main road. At the ‘Give Way’ sign, turn right and head back to the sports hall (S/E).

This route can be followed on foot or by bike.

- Route du (9): this route follows the path taken by the monk Antoine (a local monk) as he travelled from Saint-Sornin to La Faurie, and it was along this route that two successive miracles took place (as recounted in the quiz walk). Monk Antoine lived at the end of^{the 13th} century and belonged to the Carmelite monastery of La Rochefoucauld. He regularly travelled through the hamlets of the parish to preach the Gospel, always carrying his bell to announce his arrival.

- Saint-Sornin Church: the oldest part of the church (the choir) dates from^{the 11th} century. It was extended in the^12th century and adjoined by a priory. Upon entering, you will notice several things: the church is built of white stone, likely from the Vilhonneur quarry, giving it a very bright appearance. There is also a magnificent choir window and, above all, a large wooden sculpture of the monk Antoine, complete with his bell.