From La Chancelée to L’Autise

(S/E) On leaving the car park, turn right onto Rue Sainte-Marthe. After a few metres, turn right onto the road known as Chemin de Pied Mollet. Follow this road to the right, passing a farm on your left. At the next junction, turn left onto the path that climbs, heading south-southeast then south, with a lovely hedge on the left-hand side.

(1) At the next junction, carefully follow the gently sloping road to the right. When the road bends to the right, take the path opposite (west). Head downhill, ignoring the turn-offs to the left, and you’ll come out onto a small road.

(2) Follow the road to the left. At the^second bend (to the right), note a wash house on the left by the banks of the Chancelée. Head towards the hamlet of Le Petit Moulin and pass beneath the hamlet of La Babinière. Turn left immediately after passing the La Babinière property and climb towards the plateau, following the road.

(3) Shortly after passing a farm on the right, take a path on the right. Head straight down the hillside towards the bottom of a small valley. At the bottom of the valley, the path reaches a T-junction.

(4) Turn right onto the path that runs along the hillside (north-west). At the next junction, turn right twice and head downhill. Pass at the bottom of the valley next to a pond on the right-hand side and climb back up towards the hamlet of La Bénette.

(5) At the three-way junction, turn left, moving away from La Bénette. At the junction that appears immediately, turn left twice in succession onto a descending path. Continue along the hillside overlooking the Autize. At the end of this sort of spur, the path turns right and descends the hillside until it joins the D126 road.

(6) Turn right and follow this road carefully as it crosses the Autize and climbs the side of the valley towards the hamlet of Le Plet. At the junction halfway up the slope, take the small road on the right, which soon levels out. When the road turns left, take the path that heads downhill to the right. After about fifty metres, take the^first path on the left. You will soon reach a junction.

(7) Turn right onto the path that descends gently before dropping down towards the valley where the Ruisseau de Miochette flows. When you reach the bottom of the valley, ignore the first path on the left and follow the Miochette, which immediately flows into the Autize. Follow it for about 50 metres and cross it to begin climbing up the other side of the valley to a crossroads.

(8) Turn left onto the path that continues to climb the valley side through woodland. Further on, you’ll emerge onto a small road leading to the hamlet of La Chauvinière. Follow the road to the right.

(9) At the T-junction, turn left towards La Gorre. Continue straight on, ignoring the paths branching off to the right. Beautiful views to the north towards the Autize valley and beyond to the Bois de Péchenin and its castle.

(10) At the junction with Rue Sainte-Marthe, turn right and, after a few metres, you’ll reach the La Gorre farmhouse (see the ‘During the walk’ section). Retrace your steps.

(10) Follow Route de la Benette to the right towards Moulin Neuf. Before a wide bend to the left, take the path known as Rabotou on the right. The path turns right to climb the hillside towards the village of Xaintray. You’ll emerge between two houses onto Rue de la Cure and follow it to the right. At the next junction, turn left onto Rue Sainte-Marthe and you’ll find the car park a little further on to the right (S/E).

The car park is located in front of Sainte-Marthe Church and the school.

This hike across varied terrain requires sturdy footwear.

This route is largely marked in yellow as it is loosely based on the “Le lavoir de la Racounette” route published by the Deux-Sèvres Departmental Hiking Committee. It is marked in June. Nevertheless, it is advisable to follow the directions in this description and on the map, whilst also paying attention to the landscapes you pass through. Distance markers from the starting point, or even the GPS coordinates of waypoints (including the start), can also help hikers find their way.
Editor’s note: the path between La Servantière and Moulin Neuf is not accessible as it is blocked by a fence. This results in a slightly longer route along quiet country lanes.

Hike completed by the author on 11 September 2020

Xaintray
The Château de Puy Chenin
The castle, dating from the 12th and 17th centuries, also known as Logis de Puy-Chenin or Pichenin, is a listed building and privately owned. The listed features are the façades and roofs; the stone staircase; and the large fireplace: listed by order of 9 September 1975; the moat surrounding the main building and the two bridges: listed by order of 22 June 1994
Source: Monumentum

The Church of Saint-Eugène and Sainte-Marthe
The Church of Saint-Eugène in Xaintray is an interesting building from the last third of the 12th century, combining Romanesque archaisms with elements of early Western Gothic architecture. The church suffered damage during the Wars of Religion and is an interesting single-nave building without a transept. The curious rectangular bell tower, as wide as the church itself, rested on a ribbed vault of which only the base of the ribs remains. To the south, the main door, set in a pointed arch, is moulded with toruses supported by plain or foliage-decorated capitals. One of the bells, decorated with a cross and three fleurs-de-lis, was cast in 1739 on the church square. Opposite the entrance door, one can make out a fresco of Saint Christopher dating
the 15th century. The bell tower rests on the triumphal arch of the nave. Today it consists of a single storey with six openings. Inside Saint-Eugène Church stands a statue of Saint Martha, carved from wood and polychromed.
For further information:
Source: Seux-Sèvres Tourism and the walking guide “Le lavoir de la Racounette” published by the Deux-Sèvres Departmental Committee for Hiking

The Logis de la Gorre
The Logis de La Gord (La Gorre) replaced a feudal residence. The oldest documents date from 1208. The present buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The gate at the entrance to the courtyard dates from 1670. On the left, above a smaller door, is a circular coat of arms, the design of which has been hammered away, surmounted by a cherub’s head.
Source: hiking guide "Le logis de Pichenin" published by the Deux-Sèvres Departmental Committee for Hiking