Route des moulins de Neuville

This easy route, more than 80% of which is on paths, will allow you to discover all the charm of Neuville-sur-Sarthe and its surroundings, the banks of the Sarthe, its old restored mills, the Château de Monthéard, as well as the history linked to the Second World War through the presence at that time of an American airfield in the countryside.

Details

19507950
Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.64 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 9 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 9 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 58 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 47 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park behind the church.

(S/E) At the car park exit, turn left onto the path that runs alongside the main road (D197).

(1) Cross the road (be careful of traffic, danger) and take the large path opposite.

(2) Leave the main path and continue straight ahead along a smaller path. Keep left and continue straight ahead. Pass in front of the sports complex to reach the Refay road.
Take this road on the right. At the end, take the path on the left that runs alongside the road and continue straight ahead to reach the village of Montreuil.

(3) In the middle of the houses, take the street on the left, then take the bridge over the Sarthe.
In the middle of the bridge, you will see the old Montreuil mill on your right. Continue straight ahead.

(4) Turn left onto Route du Lierré and continue straight ahead. On the left, walk alongside the old airfield.
At a place called Les Landes, you will come to a road that you take on the left.

(5) At the crossroads, take the path on the left through the woods that runs alongside the road. When you reach the Château de Monthéard, leave the path and continue straight ahead, taking the road on the right (caution: traffic hazard). A few hundred metres further on, take the path through the woods again until you reach the Petit Paris crossroads.

(6) Turn left, cross the Sarthe river and continue straight ahead along the path parallel to the road with the small bridge.

(7) Turn right onto Chemin du Vieux Moulin (tarmac road) until you reach an intersection.

(8) Turn right onto the road that leads to the old mill (private property).

(9) After visiting the old mill, retrace your steps to return to the crossroads.

(8) Cross the road and take the path on the right, then keep left to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 49 m - Car park - Église Notre-Dame de la Nativité (Neuville-sur-Sarthe)
  2. 1 : km 0.23 - alt. 49 m - Path on the right
  3. 2 : km 0.79 - alt. 49 m - Smaller path opposite
  4. 3 : km 2.96 - alt. 51 m - Montreuil. Towards the bridge over the - Sarthe (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 4.03 - alt. 53 m - Road on the left
  6. 5 : km 5.52 - alt. 54 m - Path on the left parallel to the road
  7. 6 : km 6.68 - alt. 52 m - Carrefour du Petit Paris.
  8. 7 : km 7.18 - alt. 48 m - Road on the right
  9. 8 : km 7.91 - alt. 48 m - Route du Vieux Moulin
  10. 9 : km 8.09 - alt. 47 m - The old Neuville mill
  11. S/E : km 8.64 - alt. 49 m - Car park - Église Notre-Dame de la Nativité (Neuville-sur-Sarthe)

Notes

(9) Picnic tables

Worth a visit

(3) The Montreuil mill dates back to the 19th century. It had two wheels and blocked the course of the Sarthe river at a place called Montreuil in the commune of Neuville-sur-Sarthe. It was destroyed by fire in 1921 and rebuilt in 1926 in its current form, made of brick and wood. This mill ground grain until 21 December 1985, when it ceased operation.
The history of the last century of activity at the Neuville mill is characterised by a line of millers: the Ledrus. Four generations of men with strong personalities succeeded one another.

(5) U.S. airfield in Neuville. Construction work began on 17 August 1944. An American group specialising in aerial reconnaissance was stationed there from 9 September to 11 October 1944. It was equipped with P-51 Mustangs.

Monthéard Castle. The parish seigneury was annexed to the land of Monthéard, perhaps Mont-Léard, which was referred to as a barony, a title that no act of erection seems to justify. This seigneury was under the temporal authority of the bishopric of Le Mans and its barony. The Château de Monthéard, with its chapel, located on the right bank of the Sarthe, one kilometre north-east of the village of Neuville, was owned by Messrs Richer de Monthéard, father and son, successive presidents of the presidial court of Le Mans; then by Mr de Biré, because of the demoiselle de Fontenay, daughter of a demoiselle de Monthéard. The property then passed to Mr. Félix Daniel de Vauguyon, a member of the Chamber of Deputies. The current Château de Monthéard was built in the early 18th century.

(9) - Auguste Ledru, the incoming miller, purchased the mill on 29 March 1856 for 18,000 francs.
- Auguste Ledru, second-generation son, succeeded his widowed father on 24 April 1868. Upon his death on 15 December 1899, the mill was run by his son.
- Auguste Ledru III continued the business for a few months but, together with his mother, decided to lease it to Eugène Choisnet, the incoming miller.
Auguste Ledru (III) died on 30 August 1906 at the age of 35.
Raoul Dazard, a mill foreman, took over the lease on 1 May 1919 and remained there until 30 April 1927.
Ernest Ledru, son of Auguste (III) and fourth generation of the family, took over the mill on 1 May 1927 at the age of 28.

On 10 April 1968, the Neuville mill ceased milling operations for good.
On 13 September 1968, the Neuville mill, which had been owned by the Ledru family for 112 years, was sold to Jean-Paul Sivadier, without the residential house.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
GANA72
GANA72

Thank you for your comment
Change made

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PASSIN
PASSIN

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route at this time of year, although a little too short, crossing the metal bridge over the Sarthe.
The Neuville mill has been private property since COVID, please include this in the description.

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GANA72
GANA72

Thank you for your comment.

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Gusparo
Gusparo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant walk with lovely views of the Sarthe. I recommend it.

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philrando15
philrando15

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route. As the Sarthe river had burst its banks following recent rainfall, part of the route was flooded: I was able to get around this obstacle.

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Hami
Hami

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Detailed and easy-to-follow description, slightly short hike but all the essentials are there, crossing the Sarthe on a metal bridge, mill and castles.

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Dominique PRIEUR
Dominique PRIEUR

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk. Very pleasant.

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Cécile72
Cécile72

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. There are a few sections on the road, but otherwise the scenery is relaxing and bucolic.

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zargos
zargos

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Easy and fairly flat route.
Two interesting passages over the Sarthe river, but part of the route runs along the side of the road (well protected) with quite a lot of traffic.

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GANA72
GANA72

Thank you also for your comments.

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boussine
boussine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful and interesting hike. Thank you very much.

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