Old buildings of the Château des Ouches at the Chapel of Saint-Faziol

A circular walk offering varied scenery with little elevation gain. This hike alternates between footpaths and a few sections on minor roads. It offers views of the Château des Ouches, the Moulin des Ouches and the Chapelle de Saint-Faziol.

Details

n°219736

Creation:
06 Mar 2016

Last update:
28 Aug 2020

Last review:
27 Jun 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 6.25 mi
Average duration: 3h 15
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 394 ft
Descent: - 381 ft
Highest point: 423 ft
Lowest point: 292 ft

Country: France
City: Melle (Deux-Sèvres) (79500)
Start/End: N 46.219907° / W 0.150664°
IGN map(s): Ref. 1629SB
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Description of the walk

Start in the Saint-Hilaire district (see practical information).

(S/E) The route starts heading due south along a nature trail (Melle Arboretum), which is also the^GR®655at this point (marked in red and white; it is also the Way of St James). After about 750m, the path passes above the Loubeau wash house.

(1) Just after the bridge near the sewage treatment plant, take the path on the left which descends to the road spanned by the bridge. Go under the bridge and, after the sewage treatment plant, follow the path which runs alongside the water treatment basins. You will emerge near the Melle bypass.

(2) Cross the ring road, turn left and then take the Chemin de Mouille-Pain on the right.

(3) At the end of this path, follow the road to the left. Cross the D950, which links Poitiers and Saintes: take care, as the road is very busy. Continue straight ahead to the Grange de Saint-Faziol.

(4) Turn right onto the path towards Château des Ouches.

(5) Near the château, turn left onto the path towards the D120. Once on the road, turn right towards the Moulin des Ouches. After the bridge over the Légère, continue along the D120 to the next junction.

(6) Turn left; immediately afterwards, leave the farm track on your left (often closed by a chain) and the road on your right, and continue straight on until the next junction.

(7) Turn left and, at the first Fork in the road, take the road on the right.

(8) Turn left onto the track that continues the road from Marais de Mont. After about 700m, ignore the dead-end track ahead and turn right at a right angle to rejoin the road.

(9) Turn left onto the road leading downhill towards Saint-Faziol. At the Fork in the road, turn right and pass by the Chapel of Saint-Faziol. Then turn left and cross the Légère again. At the next crossroads, turn right onto the road leading uphill towards Le Petit Chaigneau and Chante-Grelet.

(10) At Petit Chaigneau, take the slightly uphill track on the left (at the corner of a house). At the T-junction, turn right. Then follow the D120 to the left. Cross the D950 road with care. Follow the slip road to join the ring road until you reach the crossing point used on the way out: cross the ring road (caution: this is the dangerous part of the route).

(2) Then take a path on the left leading up the hill and turn into the first path on the right.

(11) At a sharp left-hand bend, leave the track and take a smaller one on the right. Turn immediately left onto this track, which soon becomes Rue des Carrières. At the next two junctions, turn right and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 367 ft - Car park near Saint-Hilaire Church
1 : mi 0.5 - alt. 328 ft - Bridge near the town’s sewage treatment plant
2 : mi 0.81 - alt. 312 ft - Crossing point on the ring road - Béronne (rivière)
3 : mi 1.43 - alt. 348 ft - Junction of the Mouille-Pain path with the road
4 : mi 1.68 - alt. 407 ft - Grange de Saint-Faziol
5 : mi 2.1 - alt. 397 ft - Crossroads near the Château des Ouches
6 : mi 2.84 - alt. 358 ft - Crossroads
7 : mi 3.28 - alt. 390 ft - Crossroads, altitude 119
8 : mi 3.82 - alt. 404 ft - Crossroads, altitude 123
9 : mi 4.38 - alt. 390 ft - Crossroads, altitude 118
10 : mi 4.91 - alt. 394 ft - Le Petit Chaigneau
11 : mi 5.8 - alt. 420 ft - Junction
S/E : mi 6.25 - alt. 367 ft - Car park near Saint-Hilaire Church

Notes

Parking is available either in the car park at the start of the discovery trail (above Saint-Hilaire Church), part of which is reserved for motorhomes, or near Saint-Hilaire Church.

Take care when crossing the ring road that bypasses Melle and the road from Melle to Saintes due to heavy traffic.

Between (11) and the point opposite (2), take care as the route uses a fairly busy slip road to go from the Melle-Saintes road to the ring road that bypasses Melle.

An alternative route is possible by parking directly at the point (3).
If you start the walk at point (3), you must turn left at point (10), then leave a track on your left and return to the place known as La Grange de Saint-Faziol. From there, the return to the car park (3) is easy, after crossing the D950, which is dangerous due to heavy traffic. The route is then reduced to approximately 7.5 km.

Worth a visit

Saint-Hilaire Church: a Catholic church located in Melle. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, as a stop on the Way of St James in France. Note in particular the chevet, characterised by the stepped roofs of the apses, followed by the ambulatory, and finally the choir, surmounted by the bell tower. It is a model of balance. The south façade: above the portal runs a cornice with historiated modillions (symbols of the Evangelists), between which the signs of the zodiac are carved. The north side wall: stands out for its sculptures. The horseman in high relief, in a niche, symbolising Constantine I’s victory over the pagans, surmounts the depiction of the battle between vices and virtues on the outer roll of the arch. The current sculpture dates mainly from a restoration in 1872; only the central section is authentic.

In Melle, there are two other Romanesque churches: Saint-Savinien and Saint-Pierre.
The Hôtel du Ménoc is also worth a visit (former courthouse).

Reviews and comments

4 / 5

Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5

Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5

Route interest
4.4 / 5

User 26176709

27 Jun 2025 at 08:02 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route, a lovely walk.
The only problem is that the verges along the D950 aren’t maintained, so towards the end of the route, when you have to follow it to get back to the start of the path, it’s a bit of a struggle (brambles, tall grass, etc.).

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philouis

15 Mar 2021 at 08:42 3600 • Edited: 15 Mar 2021 at 12:16 3600

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route in fine weather, along well-maintained paths with interesting views of the built heritage.
As for crossing the ring road, you can take the tunnel along the Béronne.

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bibi

20 Aug 2017 at 10:35 7200

Thank you, pgetrochon. Please feel free to edit your description to include this additional information, which may be useful to future hikers.
Best regards

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pgetrochon

18 Aug 2017 at 18:35 7200

To find the path between (1) and (2), keep to the left and follow the steps (made of earth held in place by logs), which are more or less clearly marked. It is clear that this area cannot be maintained by council workers, given how narrow and steep the terrain is. When the grass is tall, this passage can be a little trickier to find, but on the large-scale map the route is clear (a map we have on the computer at home, I admit). After that, it’s a matter of walking along the road without any particular path to reach an area where you can cross in reasonably safe conditions. The rest of the hike is on farm tracks (which can accommodate a tractor) or on quiet roads.
Furthermore, it is true that in the height of summer, the D950 and D948 roads are congested on certain days as they are major north-south and east-west routes. Consequently, crossing them becomes more tricky.
Personally, I have crossed them several times outside the summer season with a group of fifteen people without any difficulties other than waiting for a suitable moment, given the size of the group.
Kind regards

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bibi

18 Aug 2017 at 15:44 7200

Thank you for your feedback. Having visited this spot on your way back, how would you describe it to future hikers?
Kind regards

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Visiteur

14 Aug 2017 at 09:11 7200

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We couldn’t find the section between 1 and 2, i.e. between ‘Emerge near the Melle bypass’ and ‘Cross the bypass’. We had to walk the route in the opposite direction. Going the other way, we found crossing the D950 dangerous, as was the section along the D948. I would advise against these sections.
For Bonneuil Castle, we didn’t go through the gate but continued along the road, then turned left at the junction towards Saint-Génard and immediately left onto the private road that takes you past the castle entrance. The path doesn’t end near point 7 but joins the route heading towards point 8.

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alcm

14 Mar 2017 at 15:22 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

For the attention of pgetrochon:
"As for the chapel at Bonneuil Castle, I’m the first to be surprised: we walked past without anyone saying a word."
Thank you for changing the route of the walk, but didn’t it seem odd to you to go through a gate after the bridge, then walk between a house and cars parked in front of a lawn? To avoid this sort of mishap, do remember to contact the owners (they’re in the directory!).
Kind regards,
alcm

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pgetrochon

27 Feb 2017 at 18:14 3600

Hello,
I am sorry to hear of your disappointment and am somewhat surprised.
Regarding the Château des Ouches, having checked, the sign indicating a private driveway is clearly marked at the side of the D120 road to prevent any vehicles from entering the property. However, if you are on foot and ensure you only walk along the boundary wall, there is some leeway for walkers (provided everyone is equally respectful of the site).

As for the chapel at Bonneuil Castle, I am the first to be surprised: we passed by without anyone saying a word. But so as not to mislead other walkers, I will amend the route by continuing along the road.

Kind regards

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POUPI79

27 Feb 2017 at 14:35 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

This walk would be perfect if we didn’t have to trespass on private property… The path alongside the Château des Ouches is private. Nobody saw us there!!! However, the chapel at the Château de Bonneuil is also on private property. Here, we were met by the farmer, who leases the land surrounding the château and its chapel. He was not at all pleased to see us on his land and asked us to report the matter, as he no longer wants to see anyone on the land he farms.

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