A circular walk from Saint-Laurent-Médoc to Balaugue

(S/E) Head west along Rue Marc Bourguedieu. Walk past the church to reach the junction with Rue du Général de Gaulle. Turn right to walk past the Town Hall and continue to Place Choteau.

(1) Turn left to cross the square and continue to the right into Rue de Marcillannet. Head towards the forest, walking alongside detached houses. Continue along the path that runs alongside it. At the junction with a straight path, turn left towards the hamlet of Marcillannet (private property).

(2) In front of the property, take the path on the right and walk alongside a vineyard on your left. Walk until you reach the edge of the woodland, then follow it along, turning left. The path skirts the private property at Marcillannet before entering the woodland. A little further on, it emerges in front of the plots belonging to the Marcillan equestrian centre. The path passes between them, then in front of the main building on the right, before reaching a small road.

(3) Cross the road carefully and continue straight ahead along the path through the woodland. When you reach a medium-voltage power line, turn right and follow the line until you reach the next junction.

(4) Turn left and follow the path which passes by a house in a clearing on your left just before joining the D101 road. Continue straight ahead heading west until you reach the first houses.

(5) Turn left onto the country lane leading to Rionet. After a straight stretch, it bends to the left as it approaches the Ruisseau de Villeneuve. Shortly afterwards, turn right and cross the Ruisseau de Villeneuve. You will arrive in Rionet. Follow Rue du Centre to the right before turning left about twenty metres further on onto a path between properties.

(6) At the T-junction, take the path on the right and, about fifty metres further on, turn left. Continue along this path, which soon heads west. Further on, immediately after a junction with a path coming from the right, the path reaches another junction. Turn left (south-west). Cross the Ruisseau de Maynon and arrive at a junction about 250 metres further on.

(7) Turn right onto the path heading west towards the Laplace track, DFCI path no. 10. Then turn left and join the road from Mourlan to Saint-Laurent-Médoc. Cross it and continue opposite along the Laplace track, DFCI path no. 11, heading south. Shortly afterwards, the track crosses over the Ruisseau de Peybaron. Carry straight on until you reach the junction with a path on the left at a place called Balaugue, where there is a ruin.

(8) Turn left onto the track, which now heads east towards Cartujac. After passing the long, narrow clearing at Périgne on your left, then a large farm shed on your right, the hamlet of Cartujac comes into view on the right.

(9) Turn left onto a path overgrown with ferns before entering the woods. This path heads north-north-east. Further on, it curves to the right and crosses a crossroads of paths.

(10) Walk straight across the forest track and, about twenty metres further on, back in the woods, take the path on the left heading north-east. Follow it until it emerges from the woods behind the housing estate at a place called La Prairie.

Turn left and follow the garden fences. When you reach the last garden, turn right to go round it and you’ll soon reach Rue des Poètes. Continue almost straight ahead along this road until you reach the junction with Rue du Vieux Lavoir.

(11) Cross at the pedestrian crossing and take the path on the left leading towards the small park bordering the Jalle de l’Horthe. A little further on, take the path on the left which crosses the Jalle de l’Horthe via a small bridge near a children’s playground.

The path soon reaches Rue René Cassin. Follow it to the right until you reach Rue Camille Maumey at a T-junction. Turn left towards the church. Just before the church, turn right into Rue Saint Julien, follow it slightly past Rue de la Poste to reach the car park on the left (S/E).

The car park is situated to the east of the church, between Rue Marc Bourguedieu and Rue Saint-Julien. Alternatively, there are parking spaces on either side of the church (please note that on the right-hand side of the church square, parking is limited to 15 minutes) and also near the Town Hall on Rue Claude Martin. There is another car park on Rue Camille Maumey, opposite Rue René Cassin (the route passes right in front of it at the very end of the walk).

This walk across varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

This route is only partially signposted. Consequently, it is advisable to follow the directions in this description and on the map, whilst also paying attention to the surrounding landscape. Distance markers from the starting point, or even the GPS coordinates of waypoints (including the start), can also help walkers find their way.
Using a GPS device or a smartphone with the Visorando app can make the walk easier.

Hike completed by the author on 28/09/2021

Saint Laurent Médoc
The first dwellings were built alongside a Roman road constructed under Caesar in 56 BC. Laurentus, a martyr under the Roman emperor Valerian, gave his name to this village, now known as Saint Laurent Médoc.
In France, a succession of invaders followed one another, driven back by Clovis in the 5th century and repelled towards Spain by Charles Martel in the 8th. Long before the capture of Jerusalem, the Order of Saint John, famous for its participation in the various Crusades, built a hospital and its chapel in Benon (now the sacristy of Benon Church), where traces of the Knights Templar and the Knights of the Order of Malta can still be seen.
At the same time, Trinitarian monks occupied the centre of Saint-Laurent-Médoc (now the Place du 8 Mai, with the remains of the Trinitarian Gate).
In the 12th century, Aquitaine came under English rule. The churches of Saint-Laurent-Médoc and Benon bear, engraved in their stones, the marks of this presence, which was to last 300 years.
In 1653, Bordeaux was besieged by royal troops. The Prince of Condé and his men, threatened by famine during the siege of Bordeaux, pillaged the entire region on 8 June, particularly Saint-Laurent. Its inhabitants managed to survive thanks to the solidarity of their neighbours in Lesparrains and perhaps also thanks to its fine wine, which was already highly prized.
In 1800, Benon was incorporated into Saint-Laurent, and in 1986, Saint-Laurent-et-Benon became Saint-Laurent-du-Médoc.

Saint-Laurent-Médoc – Crossroads of the Médoc
Saint-Laurent-du-Médoc is the administrative centre of the canton comprising the communes of Carcans and Hourtin.
An economic hub of the Médoc, situated within a prestigious region, Saint-Laurent-Médoc is characterised by this notion of balance, which is the hallmark of the Médoc – etymologically meaning ‘middle land’.
A balance between tourism and rural life, between agriculture, forestry and viticulture, but also between economic development and environmental protection.
A predominantly rural commune until the 1970s, Saint-Laurent-Médoc had a population of 1,861 at the 1962 census (its lowest point).

The establishment of the Centre de Préparation des Annuaires (closed since 31 March 2005) and the construction of several housing estates led, from 1970 onwards, to an increase of more than 40 per cent in the population, which stood at 2,896 in 1982. This population growth has continued since then at a rate which, although less rapid, remains significant nonetheless, with an increase of nearly 16 per cent between 1982 and 1990, bringing the population to 3,476 (source: INSEE – March 1999). Today, Sant-Laurent-Médoc has exceeded the 3,500-inhabitant mark.
This growth has, of course, led to the need for new facilities, and so a school complex, a multi-purpose sports hall, a stadium with playing fields and tennis courts, a library, a tourist information centre, a community centre (offering craft and cultural activities, etc.) and a skate park for young people have been built or developed.
Situated alongside the RN 215, the 25-hectare business park offers craftspeople and manufacturers serviced plots of varying sizes to suit their needs.

Following the redevelopment of the central squares around the Town Hall and the Church, and in response to numerous requests for housing, the council has launched a programme to benefit residents, focusing on two key areas:
- the development, on a large plot of land acquired in 1990 in the town centre, of a housing estate for first-time buyers. A 3-hectare public park completes this new neighbourhood in the town centre.
- with the support of the Gironde Habitat Public Development and Construction Office, the conversion of six buildings acquired in 1992 on the town’s main street into ten rental flats complements the four social housing units already built on the same street.

At the same time, and always whilst respecting this essential balance between urban and rural life, Saint-Laurent-Médoc has embarked on the restructuring of its land assets.
The preliminary study launched in 1990 revealed that traditional agriculture (mixed farming and livestock rearing) and forestry faced an uncertain future, particularly given the highly fragmented nature of the land parcels, with smallholdings heavily intermingled within large farms – a situation that justified the observation of rural depopulation.
To address these issues and in an attempt to implement a dynamic agricultural and forestry policy, a land-use planning programme was launched, involving land reorganisation across 3,124 ha and land consolidation across 190 ha.
Four intervention zones were defined, and each area was treated independently. The operations, which began in 1992, were completed in 1997. Saint-Laurent-Médoc is a large municipality covering an area of 13,595 ha, comprising a world-renowned wine-growing region, traditional agriculture focused on maize cultivation, and a varied woodland area featuring maritime pines, oaks, acacias (for vine stakes) and poplars (in the marshes).
Following these land consolidation operations, major works were undertaken (land clearing, new tracks, ditches) to make the consolidated plots accessible, drained and suitable for cultivation.
Recognising the public interest in these associated works – which, by enabling the use of new land and combating the spread of wasteland, bring new prosperity to the community – the municipality of Saint-Laurent-Médoc decided to take on the role of project manager.
Rural, urban. Saint-Laurent-Médoc: two ways of life which nevertheless share common needs, both in terms of quality of life and economic development.
Source: Saint-Laurent-Médoc news website (excerpts)

The forest – DFCI
Communal forest
The communal forest is a heritage asset to be preserved and enhanced. It covers an area of approximately 1,900 hectares.
On a day-to-day basis, foresters ensure its upkeep and development. Drawing on a field study tailored to the forest’s specific challenges, the management plan sets out the current state of the forest, defines long-term objectives and establishes a 20-year action programme. This forest management plan, drawn up in collaboration with the O.N.F. (French National Forestry Office), guarantees the sustainable management of the forest for the local authority.

DFCI
The Forest Fire Protection Service’s mission is to manage, inform and innovate.
To this end, it works year-round to combat the risk of forest fires. The maintenance of plots and infrastructure is essential to protect and preserve our heritage. That is why, before carrying out any work, you should consult the DFCI, which publishes a risk assessment map for professionals.
Clearing undergrowth is also a key preventive measure. The obligation to clear undergrowth on land situated within 200 metres of woods and forests applies to:
50 metres around buildings
10 metres on either side of private access roads to buildings
Under the Forest Fire Risk Prevention Plan (PPRIF), this requirement may be extended to up to 100 metres around buildings. Brush clearing must also be carried out on neighbouring plots after informing their owners. The owners cannot object to this. (Art. L 131-12 of the Forest Code)
The most suitable time for clearing undergrowth is during February and March, and when the alert level is ‘low to medium’.
You are located in a high forest fire risk area.
It is therefore prohibited to burn garden waste at any time of year.
Source: the local council’s official website