Route of Resistance in Bouëx

de fr

This walk, which starts at a beautiful spot where you can admire the church, the château and its wash house, is also a page in the history of the Resistance and the Demarcation Line, anchored in the Bouëx countryside on the edge of the Braconne-Bois Blanc national forest.

Details

n°4345333
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.00 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 84 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 85 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 173 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 113 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

"Alice" artwork by Marie Denis in Bouëx
Commemorative plaque
Duruisseau Farm
Bourg de Bouëx

Description of the walk

This hike is marked in green.
Departure from the Salle des Fêtes car park.

(S/E) Head south-east towards Saint-Étienne Church.

(1) At the crossroads, turn left into Rue Chabasse. Pass the school and the cemetery. Turn right after the cemetery.

(2) Just after Méré, head down towards Couradeau on the left and cross the hamlet. In the bend, at the exit of the hamlet, take the white path on the right, an old Roman road.

(3) Enter the woods on the left at the sign for the Demarcation Line. Note the early medieval well at the entrance to the woods. At the exit of the woods, turn left and continue for about 600 metres.

(4) Take the hairpin bend on the right. Further on, in the middle of the fields (elevation 128), take the path on the left.

(5) Cross the D 4 carefully. Just before the houses, turn left and follow the path that joins a cross path, which you follow to the left.

(6) At the intersection, turn right and continue straight ahead for another 800 metres, ignoring a crossroads.

(7) Turn left. In the distance on the right, you can see the Chazelles gas compression station. After 1 km, ignore the first path on the right. In the bend, turn left then immediately right and follow the gas line to the crossroads 900 m away.

(8) Continue straight ahead along the beautiful forest lane opposite towards the village. Join a road and follow it to the right.

(9) At the bend, turn left and continue along the path for about 800 m.

(10) At the crossroads, first turn right then left and continue south-south-east on a path. Join a road and follow it to the left for 200 m.

(11) Take the first path on the right. At the intersection, leave the path on the right that leads to Grand Arsac and continue straight ahead.

(12) Pass to the left of the Prazelles well and, before the road, turn right at the top towards Chez Biard. Turn left in the village.

(13) Cross the D 4 and continue straight ahead on the small Hauteville road that descends to the Salle des Fêtes car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 126 m - Car park at the village hall.
  2. 1 : km 0.15 - alt. 128 m - Église Saint-Étienne (Bouëx)
  3. 2 : km 1.02 - alt. 172 m - Fourche
  4. 3 : km 2.39 - alt. 141 m - Entrance to the woods on the left
  5. 4 : km 3.4 - alt. 133 m - Path on the right at the hairpin bend
  6. 5 : km 4.3 - alt. 128 m - Crossing the D4
  7. 6 : km 5.15 - alt. 124 m - Fork in the road
  8. 7 : km 6 - alt. 121 m - Fork in the road
  9. 8 : km 7.96 - alt. 117 m - Crossroads
  10. 9 : km 9.1 - alt. 133 m - Chez Mignot - Junction
  11. 10 : km 9.84 - alt. 130 m - Crossroads
  12. 11 : km 10.68 - alt. 135 m - First road on the right
  13. 12 : km 11.23 - alt. 116 m - Prazelles Well
  14. 13 : km 12.35 - alt. 132 m - Crossing the D4
  15. S/E : km 13 - alt. 126 m - Car park at the village hall

Notes

Contact: Tourist Office: +33 (0)5 45 95 16 84

Worth a visit

Saint-Étienne Church (11th and 12th centuries), castle and wash house.

Located at the foot of the castle, the fountain-wash house, which was in use until 1962, has retained its bucket pump. Since 2010, the wooden artwork "Alice" created by artist Marie Denis has adorned the wash house, which has become a mirror.

(2) Located on the right at an altitude of 191 metres, Méré offers a vast panorama stretching from the borders of Saintonge to Confolentais and is home to the remains of the 13th-century Château de Méré (private).

(3) The Demarcation Line passed very close to here. In the village of La Petitie, there was a border post between June 1940 and November 1942.

In the village of Les Forêts, you will pass the Duruisseau farm, a hotbed of the Resistance, where the Special Sabotage Section was created in 1944 by Jacques Nancy and René Chabasse. Parachute drops took place in the surrounding fields (Luquet stubble fields) and hiding places were dug in the woods.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
vivilac
vivilac

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike.
Level: accessible to all.
A beautiful route through woods and meadows.
I highly recommend it.

Machine-translated

Florikawalk
Florikawalk

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, well-marked route, with alternative marked routes (and I'm not talking about electricity ) to shorten the distances.

Machine-translated

Office de tourisme Angoulême
Office de tourisme Angoulême

Hello,
I'm glad you enjoyed the hike, thank you for your comment.
See you soon on our trails,
Chantal

Machine-translated

mipabo
mipabo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very interesting site

Machine-translated

AnnyJakin
AnnyJakin

Nothing important, nature ventured in because it wasn't visited enough. Brambles don't need rain to take over. All it takes is for the paths to be used and everything will return to normal.

Machine-translated

Office de tourisme Angoulême
Office de tourisme Angoulême

Hello,

Thank you for your comment. It is true that there are many wide paths, but I am surprised that the smaller paths are less accessible, as the local council takes care to maintain its paths.
I will report this to them.
Kind regards,
Chantal

Machine-translated

AnnyJakin
AnnyJakin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route includes many dirt roads frequented by hikers, mountain bikers and farmers, so given the current weather conditions, they are very passable. However, as soon as we take the paths intended for walkers, the vegetation takes over. It's a shame, but we're not complaining. With a pair of secateurs in our bags or a stick to clear the way, we can get through.
There were 12 of us and everyone was satisfied.

Machine-translated

Office de tourisme Angoulême
Office de tourisme Angoulême

Hello,
I'm glad you enjoyed the hike, and thank you for sharing your opinion.
Kind regards,
Chantal

Machine-translated

oualent
oualent

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A peaceful nature hike. Clear description and map. Note: the trail is marked in light green. Some very interesting historical facts. Easy parking. Many hiking and mountain biking trails start from the car park.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Prehistory route in Sers

Tourist office
Circuit de la Préhistoire à Sers
↔12.00 km ↗+272 m ↘-270 m ◔4h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sers (Charente)
Unspoilt nature, pretty villages, art in the countryside, magnificent views, remarkable limestone cliffs and a major prehistoric site are all good reasons to explore this route in the shade of the undergrowth.

Walking The miraculous fountain of Bellevau in Sers

Visorando member
La fontaine miraculeuse de Bellevau à Sers
↔3.21 km ↗+41 m ↘-35 m ◔1h 00 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Sers (Charente)
Set off to discover the miraculous fountain of Bellevau in the commune of Sers (16). This place is a real gem, home to an underground chapel and a fountain set in a green and cool setting. Arriving via the mule track, you will pass the remains of troglodyte dwellings until you reach the chapel, part of which is underground (private property). Behind the chapel, on the side of the rock and sheltered by trees, a few cavities house religious emblems and signs of contemplation.

Walking Asphodel route in Dirac

Tourist office
Circuit des asphodèles à Dirac
↔8.97 km ↗+95 m ↘-101 m ◔2h 50 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Dirac (Charente)
Just 10 minutes from Angoulême, the Forest of Dirac offers welcome shade and sunken paths lined with low walls or wide forest lanes. Take advantage of this beautiful immersion in nature to discover its flora and fauna. In spring, you can see the spectacular flowering of the asphodel.

Walking Pranzac feudal park and valley with fords and footbridges

Visorando member
Parc féodal de Pranzac et vallée par gués et passerelles
↔6.88 km ↗+63 m ↘-61 m ◔2h 10 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Pranzac (Charente)
Pranzac is a small commune in Charente with a rich feudal past. The association "Les secrets de Pranzac" is involved in the partial reconstruction of the Château des Comtes des Cars.Our walk will first take us around the old seigneurial park of the castle, then continue along the valley, crossing fords and footbridges.

Walking Tour de Garat

Tourist office
Tour de Garat
↔22.20 km ↗+381 m ↘-386 m ◔7h 25 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Touvre (Charente)
Starting from Touvre, this route offers some wonderful heritage discoveries, such as the Bragette Hermitage, the castles of Dirac and La Tranchade, and numerous wash houses set in unspoilt natural surroundings.

Walking Trotte-Renard route

Tourist office
Circuit de Trotte-Renard
↔10.57 km ↗+152 m ↘-153 m ◔3h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Touvre (Charente)
From the top of the surrounding hills, you can see the village of Touvre and the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, at the foot of which the Touvre springs forth, the second largest resurgence in France.

Walking The resurgences and the source of the Touvre

Visorando member
↔2.95 km ↗+34 m ↘-32 m ◔0h 55 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Touvre (Charente)
This very short hike allows you to discover the extent of the pools that form the sources of the Touvre, fed by several resurgences. This walk also takes you to the Lèche wash house, where one of the resurgences can be seen near an old Roman bridge.

Walking From Touvre to Braconne

Visorando member
De la Touvre à la Braconne
↔13.41 km ↗+218 m ↘-211 m ◔4h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Touvre (Charente)
From the top of the hills, you will see the village of Touvre, its valley and the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. The start and finish are at the source of the Touvre, the second largest resurgence in France. The route will take you through the Braconne forest and end on theGR®4.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.