Route des bords de Charente

Park in the car park at Fléac church.

(S/E) Start from Notre-Dame Church. Follow Rue du Château to the left.

(1) Turn right onto Rue Sainte-Barbe, which runs alongside the Logis de Chalonne park.

(2) Turn left into Rue des Saules and follow it to the cemetery: take care when crossing Rue Nouvelle (D103) and Rue de la Vergne. Continue straight on along the path that runs alongside the cemetery.

From there, follow the ridge line, which offers beautiful views of the vineyards. Cross the Route de la Combe à Pierrot, then Rue des Bertons, and continue for about 300 metres.

(3) Directly beneath the power line, turn left, go under the line and join the D120 at a place called La Gamache.

(4) Turn left, then immediately left again to follow the Chemin de la Grelière au Godier, which climbs straight up to Rue des Bretons. The hamlet known as ‘Les Godiers’ stands on the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman settlement that has since disappeared.

Turn left and then immediately right to follow the path to Rue de Belfond.

(5) Turn right then left between the houses, 150 m further on, to take the Chemin des Anglais: this is a section of the ancient Roman road between Limoges and Saintes, which was used by the English to leave Angoulême at the end of the Hundred Years’ War, hence its name.

(6) Turn right onto Rue des Sablons, then head up Rue de Badoris on the right until you reach the third pedestrian crossing. Cross over and continue along the path through the woods to Rue de la Touche, which leads to the D72.

(7) Cross at the pedestrian crossing and follow the footpath to the right until you reach the first path on the left. Take this path down to a junction, then go straight on to reach a dirt track near the solar farm at the sewage treatment plant.

(8) Turn right, pass under the power line, then turn left onto the small road leading to the Fleurac lock and the Charente islands.

(9) Turn left onto the old towpath known as ‘la Coulée Verte’ and follow it to the Basseau bridge.

(10) Continue along the Charente as close as possible for about 1.5 km: opposite is the site of the former gunpowder factory, which has recently been decontaminated and is currently being redeveloped.

(11) Head up to the left through the garden towards the town hall and reach the car park (S/E).

Free parking.
Markings: Yellow.
Shade and sun.
Suitable for families: yes.

Contact Tourist Office: 05 45 95 16 84 / info@angouleme-tourisme.com

Places to see along the way: Notre-Dame Church, the Deanery, Chalonne Park, the vineyards, the Fleurac islands, the banks of the Charente, the town hall.

Notre-Dame Church: its architecture bears witness to the influence of Saint-Pierre Cathedral, from which it adopted the vaulting in a row of domes. Another remarkable feature is a collection of murals dating from the 15th century. Adjacent to the church, the Deanery, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, features a beautiful vaulted hall with an internal well and arrow slits.

The Château (19th century): owned by the local council since 1996, it is now a function room available for hire.

Logis de Chalonne: owned by the Montgeon family in the 16th and 17th centuries, this residence was restored by the Marquis de Montalembert in the 18th century. Its last owner bequeathed it, along with the land, to the municipality in 1997.

(10) Pont de Baseau: this former ford (at low water) was converted into a bridge by the Romans, who established a port at this site. For a long time, this was the only bridge over the Charente before the Saint-Cybard district. It was replaced by a ferry in the 17th century, then by a suspension bridge in 1852, before the current bridge was built in 1894.

Town Hall: built in 1852 by Jules Durandeau, this mansion was converted into a luxury guesthouse from 1918 to 1946 before becoming the Town Hall after 1945.