The Renaudie Circular

Park in the car park opposite the school, at the entrance to the village of Saint-Front-la-Rivière, to the right of the main road when coming from Saint-Pardoux. Coming from Champagnac-de-Belair, drive through the village and turn left into the street opposite the school.

(S/E) Leave the car park via the street exit (with your back to the school). Turn left into this street, which passes in front of the church and the town hall of Saint-Front. At the end, turn left, passing the Château du Saulnier, whose roofs can be seen on the right, and the dovecote in the municipal park on the left.

(1) At the stop sign, follow the D83 to the right, towards Quinsac.

Yellow markings

(2) On leaving the village, at a junction marked by a statue of Our Lady, turn left towards Chabreillac. Follow the road straight on, climbing up to a cross-road on the hillside. This junction is marked by a cross on the left.

(3) Continue straight ahead. Leave the road and take the second dirt track on the right as the road curves to the left. Walk alongside a meadow and, when the track enters the woodland, turn left into a sunken path to climb towards a hamlet. Walk through it.

(4) On leaving the hamlet of Chabreillac, follow the path on the left which descends between meadows and woods. At the junction with the road, turn right to climb towards the other hamlet of Puychabrol. Upon reaching the top of the hill, before the first house on the left, take the path that leads across the meadows towards the forest.

(5) The entrance to the forest is marked by a hunting car park on the right. Follow the path that starts there to a junction of hiking trails at the top of the hill. Head almost straight ahead towards the Renaudie circular loop along a wide track to the next hamlet of Lusson.

(6) At the entrance to the hamlet, turn right, then immediately left onto a dirt track. On reaching the hamlet of La Béléterie, turn right. The path forms a wide circular loop, allowing you to explore the ruins of La Renaudie Castle. Head down to the road and follow it to the right until the next bend.

(7) Opposite a large walnut tree, take the road on the right towards Le Sablon. At the cross at the top of the hill, turn right and walk past the farm buildings to take a path on the left that leads across the fields.

(8) At the end of this path, turn immediately right onto a small road towards Lusson. 150 m further on, at a sign indicating ‘Stop’, take a path on the left through the woods to the main road. Follow it to the right to the village of Le Caneau.

(9) After the sign marking the entrance to Le Caneau, take a street on the right then the path opposite which passes in front of Château Pommier. After the château, follow the path on the left through the fields to return towards Saint-Front.

No signposting

(3) At the crossroads, continue straight on along the road, across the fields, with Saulnier Castle on your left. At the second junction (Stop sign), turn left to enter the village of Saint-Front.

(1) At the junction with the main road, turn right towards Saint-Pardoux to return to the car park (S/E).

A family walk requiring no special equipment.
In Saint-Front, there are shops, restaurants and a picnic area in the municipal park.

It is possible to reach the foot of the Renaudie ruins by crossing the farm buildings below the village to join the path leading there. As this is private property, entry is not permitted. Return along this path to where it meets the road, at the first bend on the way out of the village.

In Saint-Front, the Romanesque church with a dome over the chancel, a 16th-century nave and a bell tower, and the Château du Saulnier (13th–16th centuries), whose moat was fed by the River Dronne.

In Béleterie, the ruins of the Château de la Renaudie (13th–16th centuries): a fortified castle with a moat and four round towers, it belonged to Jean du Barry, the Protestant leader of the Amboise conspiracy.

In Le Caneau, the Château Pommier (15th–17th centuries).