Route du Tambour in Saint-Brice

Start at the church square.

(S/E) In front of the church, turn left towards St Denis d’Anjou for 150 m, then turn left onto Chemin de La Maladrie. Continue straight on and pass the Manoir du Pressoir. On the tarmac road, turn left and pass the Launay farm until you reach the D220.

(1) Turn right onto it for 300 m, then turn left onto a dirt track and follow it
for 1.5 km. At the end, turn left then right. Cross the railway line and follow the road
to the village of Les Agêts, at the D28.

(2) At the pretty brick house, turn left for 50 m and cross the D28 (busy road) to turn right onto the Route de St Loup du Dorat. After 300 m, turn right onto a grassy track. At the end of the track, turn left and continue to the tarmac road. Cross it by first turning right then left to take the Chemin de La Lande. At the end, turn left and continue for 1 km. At Le Rocher, turn right and follow the path uphill. Pass Le Houx and continue straight on until you reach the D235.

(3) Turn left and join the D28. Make the first turn right then left to take the Chemin de
la Grande Nouillère. Cross the railway line, then turn left until you reach La Fosse.

(4) Continue straight on along the green path. At the end, turn right, then follow the path on the left. At Le Grand Coudray, turn left and then left again. Follow this path, which will take you back to the village of Saint-Brice (S/E).

Saint-Brice Town Hall - 11 Rue de l'Église, 53290 Saint-Brice. Tel: 02 43 70 80 29

Nearby restaurants and bars: ‘L'Atelier des P'tits Bouchons’ tea room in Saint-Brice, La Grande Récrée in Bouère, Le Comptoir du Lavoir in Bouère, Le Rond-Point in St Loup du Dorat.

Toilets: behind the church

Les Agêts: a former centre for the production of terracotta items, where numerous tile-making workshops
and brickworks were established here. A house built entirely of large bricks and adorned with
Genoese cornices is a remnant of this past. Located at the junction of the D28 and the road leading to Saint-
Brice, it was built for the factory manager.

• Further down towards Grez-en-Bouère: a brick kiln.

Castle ruins: 200 m from the village, on the banks of the Taude, a ruined tower is the sole remnant of the fortified castle that guarded access to the village in the Middle Ages. Destroyed for the first time in 1173–1174, it was rebuilt and was the scene of fighting during the Hundred Years’ War, notably around 1361 when Bertrand du Guesclin recaptured it from the English.

Bellebranche State Forest: this is a remnant of a much larger forest that was cleared for the needs of the Navy. Small in size (140 ha), it is surrounded by beautiful hedgerows and borders Curécy Pond, a favourite spot for migratory birds. Its two clearings and the absence of major roads make it an ideal spot for family walks.