Belle Indienne Circular Loop

Start at the hamlet of La Belle Indienne, on the D757 between Faye-la-Vineuse and Orches. Parking is available in the car park of the community hall.

Purple markings

(S/E) On leaving the car park, cross the D757 (take care) and continue along the road opposite. At the fork immediately ahead, turn left. At the Stop sign, continue straight on along Rue de la Boisellerie. At the end of the street (No. 17), continue straight on along a grassy path (in the distance opposite, the village of Faye-la-Vineuse on its hill).

(1) At the T-junction, turn right. At the next junction, continue straight ahead (dovecote on the right). After ignoring a path on the left as you approach some houses, you’ll return to the tarmac. At the next junction, continue straight ahead along Route des Coindries.

(2) At the entrance to a property, turn right with the road. At the T-junction, follow the road to the left and cross through Gençay. Before leaving the hamlet, at the corner of No. 6, take a path on the left and follow a hedge on your right, then a field.

(3) At the junction, turn right and walk alongside a wood on your left. At the edge of the wood, ignore a path on the left and continue straight on between the fields. Walk alongside a wood on your left again, come to a small road and follow it to the right.

(4) Cross the D23 and continue straight ahead on a path that descends gently between the fields. Walk west-south-west, staying on the main path and ignoring all side paths. Walk along a fenced meadow on your left, then a hedge, and you’ll reach the D757. Cross the road (take care) and take the path opposite towards a house.

(5) At the corner of the house, follow a farm track to the left. Go downhill and enter a wood. At the three-way junction (marker 70), turn right. At the next crossroads in a more open area, turn right again. After about 150m, take the first path on the left and enter the woods again (be careful not to miss this inconspicuous turn-off). Leave the woods and head uphill along the edge.

(6) At the T-junction at the corner of a woodland on the left, turn left. At the fork at the entrance to the woodland, take the left-hand path. Ignore a faint path on the left, then turn right onto the path (overgrown section).

(7) At the crossroads, take roughly opposite the second path on the right (the angle of the path on the IGN map is exaggerated). At the three-way junction (elevation 75), turn left. Ignore a path on the left, cross a stream, veer right and head due north along the edge of the woods (view of Brochard Castle on the left).

(8) At the end of the path, follow the D66 to the right for 800 metres (note the château on the left).

(9) At the start of a left-hand bend, where a small road descends from the château, turn right onto a field path. Walk alongside a stream on your right and note a pond further on to the right. Ignore a path on the right, veer left and climb steadily. At the end of the path, follow the D757 to the left and you will soon reach the community hall (S/E).

Wear good trainers or hiking boots. Grass-covered section between (6) and (7).

Part of this hike takes place across cultivated plains: in summer, avoid the hottest days and times of day and ensure you have suitable sun protection.

No water points identified along the route. At La Belle Indienne, at the junction of the D757 and the D23, there is a fruit and vegetable cooperative shop.

Signposting is clearly visible at key points, particularly thanks to the use of numerous signposts judiciously placed along the route (as of May 2017). The colour chosen is very dark, meaning the signposts are difficult to see from a distance. A 1:25,000 scale map remains useful (at the very least the one accompanying this description).

Hike undertaken by the author on 27 May 2017.

During the hike:
- Dovecote between (1) and (2).
- Small castles between (7) and (9).

Nearby:
- In Faye-la-Vineuse, Saint-Georges Collegiate Church (12th century).
- In Richelieu, a town with architecture dating from the first half of the 17th century and the park of the former castle.
Two walks published on Visorando allow you to explore these sites on foot.