The Garenne Route north of Fougères

Park in the Nançon car park, also known as the Jardin des Fêtes car park.

(S/E) Leave the car park by turning right onto Rue du Jardin des Fêtes, which climbs up to the roundabout. Cross the roundabout using the pedestrian crossings to join Boulevard Jacques Faucheux (towards Rennes), keeping to the left-hand pavement.

(1) After about a hundred metres, take the large steps on the left leading down into the Val Nançon gardens. Admire the Œuvre à la vie on your left. Cross the Nançon via the footbridge, then turn right and follow the river as closely as possible. Take the ramp and turn right to cross another footbridge.

(2) Cross Rue de la Pinterie and follow the castle moat as you cross Place Raoul II. Continue along Promenade Pauline Montembault. Then turn left, going round the castle via Rue Le Bouteiller. Turn right into the grounds of Saint-Sulpice Church, walk around it on your left and join Rue de Lusignan.

(3) After a few metres, turn right towards the Butte à Bigot. This is a steep path, sometimes with steps, which climbs up the hill. At the top, turn left and admire the view that opens up before you through the greenery.
Follow the path as it turns sharply right to join another path running perpendicular to it.

(4) Turn right. The path becomes Avenue des Poètes, running alongside a housing estate. Turn left into the first street and continue on the left. Go round a roundabout and continue along the path opposite to turn right onto Rue de la Vigne.

(5) Cross the junction and continue straight ahead, quickly taking a path on the left which runs alongside a house notable for its round tower with a pointed roof. The path veers left then right, heading west, and leads onto a road. Follow this road to the right until it ends.
Cross Boulevard de Bliche with care. Turn right, then after 50 m take the street on the left.

(6) After 150 m, turn right into Rue de la Rousselais, lined with beautiful properties, and continue straight on along Chemin de la Rousselais, which leads to Rue de la Mésangère; cross this and follow it to the right until you reach the traffic lights.

(7) Cross the road and turn left onto the footpath. Before the Maisons Guillaume car park, turn right onto the path which continues along Rue du Martrais to Rue Auguste Berthelot.
You are now in the centre of Lécousse: on your right stands Saint-Martin’s Church, whose nave vault is shaped like a seven-sided ship’s hull and is situated near a magnificent Croix Montoise (part of the pilgrimage route to Mont Saint-Michel).
Walk around the church and past the Town Hall.

(8) At the next roundabout, turn right into Rue de la Basse Porte and follow it to the end along the left-hand pavement. Cross Rue de la Croix Dorée and continue straight ahead along Rue de Brocéliande. Cross Boulevard de la Cote du Nord with care and continue straight ahead along Chemin de la Forêt.

(9) At this point, the signposting for the Garenne route indicates that you should turn right. The “Practical Information” section describes the route to follow, which includes passing under Boulevard Jean Monnet, a section that can sometimes be impassable. Here, we suggest a safe route that is accessible to everyone, as it follows the Voie Verte.
Continue straight ahead until you reach the junction with the Voie Verte. Follow it to the right.
Cross Boulevard Jean Monnet with great care and continue along the Voie Verte. When you reach Rue du Parc, first turn left then right to leave the Voie Verte and take the path leading down towards the Nançon.

(10) Turn right to walk around the lake along the path and, back on the path, take the sharp right-hand bend to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

This route is taken from the Fougères region hiking guide. Although marked with pink signposts, these are currently very sparse, sometimes barely visible and, unfortunately, often missing. This description is therefore necessary to complete the route without difficulty. We have made a modification at the end of the route, at a place called La Dorissais (9) (specified in the text) to avoid a section that is sometimes very difficult.

The original route:
Take the road downhill to the right. After a good fifty metres, continue straight on along the track. Pass under the ring road through the tunnel (may be very muddy in wet weather). Continue straight on, then turn left to run alongside the riding school. Ignore the first road on the right and follow the road as it bends to the right. At the houses, continue in the same direction, veering slightly to the left. Continue straight on along the track. The track soon becomes passable again: this is the Chemin de Robinson, which, after a bend to the right, leads to Gué Landry. At the stop sign, turn left onto Rue du Gué Landry. Cross the Nançon. In the wide bend to the left, take the first track on the right which descends towards the Nançon. Continue along this track, which leads to the car park.

The Castle
Saint-Sulpice Church
Lécousse Church and the Croix Montoise