Quarry and lime kilns at Châteaupanne

The walk starts from the small car park in Châteaupanne. It can be reached from the D751, between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Montjean-sur-Loire.

(S/E) Don't miss the little Saint-Aubin Chapel, which was once attached to a priory. It is located at the end of a path, slightly to the right of the route. Continue along the path that leaves Châteaupanne to the north. At the bend, after crossing a small stream, you will see the fountain and ruins of the Saint-Méen Chapel on your left, about 150 metres away. Access is not easy. Continue along the Ruisseau des Moulins stream on your right. Do not cross the stream and continue straight ahead along the shaded path, with the stream still on your right. A few houses mark the hamlet of Petit Fourneau.

(1) Before these houses, take the small path that branches off to the left, which is quite steep. This leads above the quarry, which is still in operation. Breathtaking views await you. Continue until you reach a tarmac road, which you should take as an extension of the path.

Note: At point (1), instead of climbing up to the quarry, you can continue straight ahead along the stream if the slope seems too difficult. This alternative route means you miss out on the breathtaking view of the quarry, but it rejoins the route at point (3).

(2) At the fork, immediately turn right onto the small road that descends to a place called La Maison Blanche.

(3) Turn right and then right again before reaching the water. A few steps further on, you will see the old lime kilns , which were loaded from above with alternating layers of limestone and coal. The kilns were then lit with wood. The temperature of the kilns ranged between 800 and 1000°C. The lime was recovered through the openings at the bottom of the kilns.

Note: here, the alternative route rejoins the normal route.

(4) After seeing the lime kilns, turn back to return to the tarmac road and then continue towards the hamlet, with the arm of the Loire on your right. At the bend, do not take the path that runs alongside the arm of the Loire, but follow the tarmac road on the left that goes uphill.

(5) At the highest point, turn right, then immediately left, opposite the entrance to a beautiful property. Continue until you reach the D751. Cross it carefully and continue on the other side, along the path more or less perpendicular to the D751, until you reach a place called La Papinerie.

(6) Turn left, ignore the access to Piffaumont and, at the T-junction, turn right onto the road lined with safety barriers (this is the site of an annual hill climb race), keeping to the left-hand side of the road. Here too, you need to be careful because of the traffic. After about 200 m on this road, turn left onto the wide path, then right at the next crossroads, and head towards Les Mazières.

(7) At the end of the locality, turn left. The tarmac road descends quite steeply. Continue for about 1.5 km, ignoring the paths that branch off to the right. The route crosses the Ruisseau des Moulins stream once and then again on arrival at the Moulin de Chateaupanne, where there are a few houses (and a wine tasting cellar). Continue along the stream until you reach the D751.

(8) Cross it carefully, then take the small steep path that climbs to the left. It is marked in red and white. Continue along the path overlooking the D751 until you reach a few houses and a tarmac road. Follow the road with a no-entry sign that curves to the right. At the end, bollards block the road to cars, but pedestrians can pass.

(9) Immediately after the bollards, take the concrete steps downhill, which continue along a sunken path running alongside a ditch. In wet weather, the path can be slippery and the ditch full of water. Join a tarmac road.

(10) Turn left onto this road. It leads back to the Saint-Aubin Chapel and the car park (S/E).

• The Saint-Aubin Chapel in Châteaupanne.
• The lime kilns.