Moulin de la Grave circular

Take the D709 then the D41 to reach the village of Saint-Jean-d'Ataux. Park near the church.

(S/E) From the sign near the church, follow the signs for Échourgnac via the D41 on the left. Take the^second road on the right (Impasse des Verrières). Continue for about 300 m until you reach the first junction.
(1) Turn left and continue for about 400 m , enjoying lovely views of a private pond at the end. At the end of the road, turn right onto the D41. After about 600 m and after the bend, turn onto the dirt track (DFCI track) on the right (view of the private Billebeau mill on the left with its brick and half-timbered wall). You will come to a crossroads.

(2) Take the forest path on the left, at the three-way junction, keep to the left.

(3) Cross the Bardot stream (probably dry in summer). At the end of the forest road, join the DFCI road on the left and continue to the D44.

(4) Turn left, then take the first path on the right. Continue straight ahead on a grassy path, passing near a wetland area, the Lavoir du Gau.

(5) Turn right at the end of the path, towards a place called La Grave in the municipality of Saint-Vincent-de-Connezac. Leave the tarmac road and take the grassy path on the right. Pass in front of the Gau wash house to reach a road. Follow it to the right until you reach La Grave. Go straight ahead between the house and the road on the left. Then leave the tarmac road and go straight ahead onto the grassy path.
(6) Continue straight ahead on the DFCI path at the next two crossroads. Cross the D44, take the path opposite and then immediately turn left onto the DFCI Chantérac path.

(7) Enjoy the view of the private Barde lake. Continue to the first path on the right just before you reach the next road.

(8) Take this path, ignoring the path leading to the pidgeon hunting hut and keeping to the grassy path on the far right. At the end of the grassy path, you will come to a crossroads with five paths.

(9) Continue straight ahead on the path that runs alongside the field, ignoring the path on the left and the two on the right. You will return to the crossroads at the start of the circular route.

(2) Continue straight ahead. At the D41, turn left. After a few minutes' walk along the tarmac road, turn left onto Chemin des Anciennes Vignes or go directly to the starting point by continuing straight ahead on the D41.
At the end of the castine path, rejoin the tarmac road on the right and at the end of the road, turn left onto the D41 to return to the church at the starting point in front of the signpost (S/E).

The village and its church:

Saint-Jean-d'Ataux was an important commune during the English occupation. The remains of the walls bear witness to this bygone historical era.
The glass industry once flourished here, and there is a place called Les Verrières where fine sand was extracted.
The church, whose choir dates back to the 12th century, was rebuilt in the 18th century and restored in 1992 by local craftsmen. Its small size makes it a charming, humble and human building. The church is not listed, but inside there is a listed painting depicting Saint Fiacre, the patron saint of gardeners. This painting was painted by Monsieur De Lentillac, a resident of the commune.

The Double Forest: between ponds and traditional architecture
The Double Forest is omnipresent in the commune: oak trees, chestnut trees, pine trees, ponds and small streams make up the landscape of Saint-Jean-d'Ataux. This gives it a great diversity of flora and fauna. Wild mammals, birds and fish are very numerous here. It is an unusual place, a clayey and humid area that was once marshland.
The ponds of the Double, the largest and most visited of which is the Étang de la Jemaye, are populated by white fish but also by several species of turtles, including the European pond turtle, a species protected at European level.
This is a region without stone quarries, resulting in a poor and fragile habitat.
The typical architecture of the Double is the double-roofed house built of wood, earth and stone, as well as other locally available materials. Stone is reserved for facades and even then, only in the wealthiest homes. Half-timbered and cob buildings are surrounded by an external wooden gallery, known as a "balet" (canopy), and topped with a gabled roof covered with canal tiles. Most farms consist of one or two rooms for living quarters, a barn and an oven.

The Gau wash house wetland: this area, located in the commune of Saint-Vincent-de-Connezac, allows visitors to discover the biodiversity of wetlands and the importance of diverse ecological areas through informative and entertaining panels.

On the edge of the commune with Saint-Germain-du-Salembre (continue left on the D44 before point (7)), there is a place called "the Americans' trench": this is where the Americans set up a firing range during the First World War for training purposes.

In a place called Le Bleuil (continue along the road instead of turning right at the crossroads before point (2). At the crossroads, turn left onto the D709 and follow it to a place called Moulin du Bleuil), there lived a lady who became the godmother of all the children of needy families in the town and was able to provide for their needs.