Route of the beautiful mansions at the heart of the history of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher

Car park on Rue de Verdun.

Marked with a Yellow Circle.

(S/E) From the car park, turn left onto Rue de Verdun, walk past the town hall and the church until you reach Rue du Général de Gaulle (D17).

(1) Cross at the pedestrian crossing, ignore the road on the right (which you will take on the way back) and follow Rue Gilbert Michel. At the junction, turn right onto Rue Mon Idée. Cross the barely visible stream channelled by culverts and turn into the^first path on the left (Chemin du Prieuré), which leads southwards to La Chaise. Continue along Rue Sylvain Bisson, then turn right towards the Prieuré de la Chaise.

(2) Turn left, continue along Rue du Conservatoire, then turn right onto Rue des Abeilles for about a hundred metres before taking a path on the left heading due south, which leads to a road; follow this to the right towards La Rochette.

(3) Pass a road on your left, cross the Ruisseau de Chézelles – where a very old mill has stood since the 15th century – and continue along the west-bound road. After the short hill following the bridge, turn right onto a marked, grassy and well-maintained dirt track (heading north) which leads to the Bois de Grateloup.

(4) At the entrance to the Bois de Grateloup, take care to follow the path marked with a Yellow Circle.

(5) Less than 100 m from the exit of the Bois de Grateloup, leave the path heading north to easily find the moats of a small fortified castle, “Château-Gaillard”, which was razed to the ground around the year 1411. Return to the path to exit the woods at the edge and, about 500 m further on, turn left (westwards) onto a small tarmac road. The markings will lead you to the Manoir des Couldraies.

(6) At the junction, follow the signposts along the tarmac road heading north for about 500 m. Opposite an electricity pylon, turn right and follow the signposts along a grassy path heading east for 800 m until you reach a crossroads. There, follow the Roman Road straight ahead.

(7) You are now on the route of the ancient Roman road (Avaricum – Caesarodunum). Take the footbridge over the old wash house and continue along the grassy path through the undergrowth. Cross Rue des Tailles and continue straight on along the path heading east until you reach a crossroads near a monitoring station for an underground natural gas pipeline.

(8) Take the road on the left (Rue des Chezelles) heading north-east, which runs parallel to Rue Marcel Bisault, turns east and leads to Rue Gilbert Michel. Turn left to arrive immediately at the junction with Rue du Général de Gaulle (D17).

(1) Cross over and continue straight ahead along Rue de Verdun to reach the car park (S/E).

"Yellow Circle" signposting

This is an easy, pleasant route alternating between tarmac, gravel and grassy sections.
Walking shoes with good soles are recommended.

(2) La Chaise is one of the oldest fiefdoms of Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. The Priory, built in the 8th, 13th and 16th centuries, is listed as a French historic monument.

(3) In the Middle Ages, La Rochette came under the jurisdiction of the Temple of Francueil. The mill built in the 15th century on the Chézelle powered a sawmill.

(4) The Bois de Grateloup is a reminder of the wolves that once roamed the area. The legend of Saint George, recounted to us by the parish priest Deniau in 1588, states that the statue of Saint George in the parish church was renowned for its ability to ward off the “beasts that devoured women and small children”.

(5) About 150 metres to the left of the footpath stood a small fortified castle called “Château-Gaillard”, which was a fief of the Château de Chenonceau. During the Hundred Years’ War, Jehan Marques, the Lord of Chenonceau, sheltered an English garrison. In 1411, the King of France’s army defeated these English troops in a battle on the banks of the Cher. The lord of Chenonceau was sentenced to the penalty for treason: the fortifications of the Château de Chenonceau and Château-Gaillard were razed to the ground. If you look carefully, you will easily find the old moats of this former fortress.

(6) The Manoir des Couldraies is listed as a French historic monument. From the 13th century onwards, it belonged to the Marques family, lords of Chenonceau. Local tradition holds that this manor was a meeting place for hunting and romantic trysts for François^I, Henri II and Diane de Poitiers

(7) The Moleterie ford on the Chézelle is crossed by the ancient Roman road (Avaricum – Caesarodunum). An old wash house bears witness to life in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Take the time to enjoy this route. There are shops in the village. Along the route, there are winegrowers selling to the public in the village, at La Chaise, at the Manoir des Couldraies and on Rue de la Voie Romaine. The vineyard landscape, the atmosphere of the woodland, the Chézelle valley at La Rochette and the Moleterie ford offer you unexpected scenery and ambience.