Hills and plains between Souvigné and Sèvre Niortaise

(S/E) Leave the car park heading towards the stadium and take the inner road heading west towards the Salle des Fêtes (to avoid walking along the D10, known as Rue du Croissant de Lune).
When the track reaches the D10, turn right onto a farm track heading north-east.
At the first right-angled bend to the left, take the track on the right. At the next crossroads, turn left and continue along the track until you reach a farm track.
Turn left, then immediately right onto a track which, shortly afterwards, passes under a high-voltage power line. Continue to a farm track, which you take by turning left.

(1) Alternative route available at this point (see § Practical information). Continue straight on along the forest track until you reach the Soignon stream.
Just before entering the village of Soignon, the track reaches a junction: take the farm track on the right. Continue straight on towards the Bois des Chalotteries, which you cross. The track climbs here.

(2) Just before reaching a road, turn right onto the flat track heading south. Continue straight on until you reach a farm track in front of a building and turn left. Shortly afterwards, you’ll reach a junction where the farm track meets two other tracks: this is the end point of the track that forms the shorter alternative route.

(3) Continue along the second farm track on the right, which heads east. The farm track winds south of the hamlet of Chiloup. It joins a small road: take this by turning left and head straight down between a farm on the left and the houses of Le Petit Geay on the right.
At a T-junction, carefully turn left onto the road which bends at a right angle and heads north-east. Continue to the next right-angle bend in the road to the left.

(4) Take the path on the right that descends towards the Sèvre Niortaise valley. Shortly afterwards, through gaps in the hedge, you’ll enjoy lovely views of Le Logis and the Bidolière farm on your left. At the first crossroads, turn left. Further on, the path takes a right-angle bend to the right and follows the Sèvre Niortaise at a distance.
Continue straight on at the next crossroads, then turn right at the second set of crossroads (the path on the left leads to the Sèvre Niortaise and is a dead end). When you reach the road, turn right onto it and, at the next junction, carefully follow the road to the left heading south-east.

(5) At the Y-junction, turn right. At the next right-angled bend, continue straight on along a farm track which turns left shortly afterwards. Cross the Glandune stream (seasonal), pass under a high-voltage power line and arrive at the hamlet of La Croisière, which you cross.

(6) Immediately afterwards, turn right onto a farm track which leads to the hamlet of Paille. Here you will see some beautiful farmhouses and some less so.
When you reach the road, turn right and follow it carefully to a T-junction where a farm track joins.

(7) Turn right onto the road heading north-west. In a wide right-hand bend, take the farm track opposite on the left-hand side of the road.
Further on, the farm track passes by the Glandune spring and its wash house (a small building).
At the top of a short steep slope, continue along the farm track to the right, then go straight on, leaving the woods of Le Couvent and Le Dac some distance to your left. Join a road.

(8) Take this road, turning left. At the right-hand bend in the road, take the path on the left. This leads to a road which you follow to the left, continuing straight on at the junction that comes up immediately. You will reach the D10.
Cross with care and take the road opposite, slightly to the left; this is Rue du Tail Robert.

(9) After the first few buildings, turn right onto a path that winds its way to Rue de la Châtaigneraie.
Turn left onto this street and continue straight on until you reach Rue de l’Église.
Turn right onto this street, then right again onto Rue de la Chapelle a little further on.
At the next junction, Rue de la Chapelle continues straight ahead. Take the passage immediately to its left (leaving Rue du Rompis further to the left). This passage is closed to motor vehicles.
Continue straight ahead along this street until you reach the D10 road.
Cross the D10 with care and proceed to the car park (S/E).

The car park is located next to the Souvigné Village Hall on the side of the D10 road.

This hike over varied terrain requires sturdy footwear. This unmarked route sometimes follows sections of various marked trails in the area. It is therefore advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map.

Alternative route:
A shorter route of just 8.4 km is possible by turning right at (1) and continuing along the path that leads directly to (3).

Hike completed by the author of this guide on 23 December 2017 and 29 May 2019

Souvigné
Régné Castle has belonged to the Vasselot de Régné family since 1403. Coat-of-arms-adorned gate, fine staircase, fireplaces, three wings of outbuildings, well and ironwork, roof.
Château des Essarts, rebuilt in the 19th century: old tower.
Boisguérin Castle, 19th century.
Logis du Bois des Prés.
Bois Dureau, old 17th-century post house.
Temple and its interior decoration.
Notre-Dame Priory: fireplace.
Museum of Headwear and the Pélébois Region
Note that there are 21 wash houses in this parish.

Saint-Maixent l'École
The town developed around the monastery founded in 459 by the Oratorian monk Agapit, who was joined in 480 by Adjutor, who then took the name Maixent. The town was initially named Saint-Saturnin and flourished in the 5th and 6th centuries.
In September 1346, the Earl of Derby failed in his attempt to capture the town1 (Hundred Years’ War).
In February 1469, by letters patent, King Louis XI authorised the establishment of fairs and markets in Saint-Maixent, following a request from the Count of Maine.
It was the district capital from 1790 to 1795.
From 1880 to 1940, the Military Infantry School (EMI, later EMICC, with combat tanks) trained thousands of officers drawn from the ranks of non-commissioned officers.
In June 1940, these officer cadets from Saint-Maixent joined the cadets of the Saumur Cavalry School in their sacrifice to defend the crossing of the Loire.
After the war, the Military School of Infantry and Battle Tanks merged with the Joint Services Military School at the Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan camp.
In 1948, the National School for Active Non-Commissioned Officers was established.

Places and monuments
Medieval residences.
From 1881 to 1940, Saint-Maixent was home to a military academy for training army officers (infantry, then infantry and tanks).
Since 1963, Saint-Maixent has been the headquarters of the National School for Active Non-Commissioned Officers, which trains all non-commissioned officers of the French Army.
The NCO Museum, in the Marchand district, is situated on the site of the Château de Saint-Maixent. The origins of this institution date back to 1926, when General Pierre Michelin founded the Museum of Remembrance to trace the military history of Saint-Maixent and that of other training schools.
The abbey church, built in 940, housed the relics of Saint Maixent and Saint Léger and was destroyed by an earthquake. Rebuilt in the 11th and 12th centuries (Romanesque church), it was destroyed again by the Calvinists in September 1568, and rebuilt (as an abbey church) on its Romanesque foundations in a very beautiful Gothic style.
The remains of Saint-Léger Church, next to the abbey church, beneath which lies the Saint-Léger crypt.
Sources: official municipal website and Wikipedia (excerpts)