The Coudriers Route in Coudray

Start from the Coudriers car park, near the Salle des Coudriers.

(S/E) With your back to Rue Principale, take the pedestrian path on the right leading to Rue du Bac, between the school and the library. Turn right onto this street and continue straight on until you reach the junction with Rue de Château-Gontier.

(1) Turn left, then left again at the first junction onto Chemin de l’Étang. Continue for about 400 m until you reach a three-way junction. Take the right-hand branch. After about 150 m, a path branches off to the left.

(2) Take the path on the left (not shown on IGN maps) and follow it all the way to where it joins a small road.
Turn right and carry on straight ahead until the next junction.

(3) Turn right here and carry on straight ahead until you reach the junction with the hamlet of Grande Valette (on the right). Continue along the same road and, after about 600 m, you’ll come to a stony country lane on the right.

(4) Turn right onto this country lane. After about 1 km, it joins a small tarmac road at a bend (sign for Le Tertre on the right). Carry on straight ahead, passing the Blin flour mill and then the hamlet of La Bavouze, before reaching a T-junction 250 m further on.

(5) At the junction, turn right, then at the next junction turn right again. Carry on straight ahead; when you reach the Piquet company, the small road continues as a gravel country lane. Take this and carry on straight ahead, returning to the fork you passed on the way out.

(2) Carry straight on along the Chemin de l’Étang to reach the village at the junction with Rue de Château-Gontier. There, turn right to reach the fork you passed on the way out.

(1) Turn left to go round the bar and join the Chemin de la Croix (a one-way road to the left, running alongside the bar). Follow this path all the way to the end until you reach a junction with a tarmac road (at a barrier).

(6) Turn left onto this road and follow it until you reach a junction with a wayside cross on the left and white barriers on the right. Here, a path leads off under the trees to the right of the barriers.

(7) Take this path. After about 500 m, you’ll come out onto a small tarmac track again. Continue straight on along the country lane that runs opposite for 500 m until you reach a small tarmac road (with a grey wayside cross opposite).

(8) Turn right and walk for about 600 m until you reach a junction with a wayside cross on the right. Carry on straight ahead, veering slightly to the left. Then continue straight on to reach the village of Coudray.

(9) In the village, at the junction with speed bumps, turn left onto Rue du Béron. After a few metres, turn into a pedestrian lane on the right and continue straight on until you reach Rue des Papinais. At the first junction, turn right and carry on until you reach the ‘give way’ sign. Turn right and carry on straight ahead for about 150 metres until you reach the Coudriers car park on your left (S/E).

Car park and toilets are available at the starting point.