Route de Craon South

Start from the Craon equestrian centre.

(S/E) From the riding centre car park, take the Voie Verte on the left heading west. Continue straight on along the Voie Verte for 1.1 km until you reach the second junction with a tarmac road (there is a marker stone opposite, near the old gatekeeper’s house).

(1) Turn left onto the small tarmac road and continue straight on for just over 200 metres. You will then come to a ‘give way’ sign (with a wooden wayside cross on a stone and brick plinth opposite). Turn left and continue straight on for about 300 metres. You will reach a three-way junction with a large house opposite.

(2) Turn right, following the wall of the large house, and join the small tarmac road that runs straight on at the transport company (located on the right). After 150m, the road ends and continues as a country lane. Take this and carry on straight ahead for 350m until you reach a tarmac road, the D229.

(3) Turn right onto the D229 and follow it for about 950m. The road curves sharply to the right. You will then come to a three-way junction with a stony track on the left (there is a large oak tree at the three-way junction).

(4) Turn left onto this track and follow it for just over 450 metres until you reach the hamlet known as “Brétignolles”. There, a grassy track branches off slightly to the left. Take this track and follow it for about 850 metres until you reach a Fork in the road. Take the path on the left and continue straight on for 175 metres until you come out onto a tarmac road (D25).

(5) Turn right onto the D25; Caution! This is a very busy road with vehicles travelling at high speed. Continue for 150m, then turn left at the first junction. Carry on along this small tarmac road for about 400m; then, after a row of trees (on the left), the small road branches off to the left just before the house at the hamlet known as “La Grande Blairie”. Carry on along this small road. After 350m, it curves to the right and a small grassy path lined with trees branches off straight ahead. Take this path to join another small tarmac road which, after about 620m, leads onto a slightly wider road: the D274 (at the junction, look for the sign for “La Chouette Cabane”).

(6) Turn right, continue for 100 metres, then turn left at the first junction (signposted “La Cruardière”). Continue for another hundred metres or so, then, just before the farm, turn right onto a tree-lined country lane. Continue straight on along this lane for about 350 metres. You’ll come to a junction with another lane.

(7) Turn left and continue along this track for 210 metres until you come out onto a small gravel road at the hamlet known as “la Potinière”, in a bend. Turn right and continue along this track for 650 metres. You will then reach a junction with another road (a country lane). Turn right, go 100 metres, then turn left to join the Voie Verte.

(8) Turn left onto the Voie Verte and continue straight on for about 1.5 km to reach the Craon equestrian centre (note the beautiful La Touche racecourse on the left along this stretch) (S/E).

A few parking spaces are available at the Craon equestrian centre.