A getaway to Chappe

de fr

This circular walk starting from Chappe takes you on a journey of discovery through the Châteauneuf Forest. This hamlet has a pond that has just been restored and a magnificent oak tree. The route follows a section of the GRP® Vallées de la Blaise et de l'Avre from the Châteauneuf water tower to the Rond du Roi, then part of the bridle path that circles this vast national forest.

Details

n°92046786
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.71 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 62 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 62 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 748 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 669 ft
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Photos

Rond du Roi
Large oak tree at Chappe
Mare de Chappe

Description of the walk

Parking is available near the pond or at the roadside in the hamlet of Chappe.

No signposting

(S/E) From the pond, follow the road that runs alongside the low wall. At the end of it (beautiful oak tree on the right), take the road on the left. At the bend, continue straight ahead on the path that leads to the D140. Follow it carefully to the right for about a hundred metres until it enters the forest (ONF sign).

GRP® yellow and red signposting

(1) Take the bridle path on the right, running along the edge of the woodland. Join a track and follow it to the right to the Rond du Roi on the D140.15: column in the centre.

PR® yellow markings

(2) Cross the road, keeping well to the left of the column, and take a path whose entrance is marked by a few logs serving as steps. Join a straight lane and follow it to the edge of the woodland.

(3) Take the track on the left, which makes a first turn left then right to follow a ditch and stays close to the edge of the woods and fields. Walk alongside a wire fence in poor condition until you reach the junction with a wide path.

No signposting

(4) Leave the PR® which heads left towards the Rond des Quatre Barrières and continue straight ahead on the bridle path. Cross a recently cleared plot and then the track reserved for the future bypass. Continue to the D140.15 (Rue du Point du Jour) and cross it carefully. Continue straight ahead to reach the D140 near the cemetery.

(5) Cross this road carefully. Continue straight ahead, passing behind the cemetery and then behind a housing estate. Continue to the water tower: there is a small car park at the end of Rue de la Forêt and, to the right, the start of a yellow-marked path leading to the town centre.

GRP® yellow and red markings

Head left to reach the large junction of forest tracks near the water tower.

(6) Take the second lane on the left and follow it for 1.8 km to the D140.

(1) Cross it carefully and follow the path you took on the way out in the opposite direction to the right until you reach the Chappe pond (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 686 ft - Mare de Chappe
  2. 1 : mi 0.52 - alt. 696 ft - Crossroads on the circular loop
  3. 2 : mi 1.03 - alt. 705 ft - Rond du Roi. D140.15
  4. 3 : mi 1.47 - alt. 748 ft - Edge
  5. 4 : mi 2.18 - alt. 719 ft - Corner of the fence
  6. 5 : mi 2.8 - alt. 702 ft - D140 near the cemetery
  7. 6 : mi 3.15 - alt. 689 ft - Crossroads of forest paths
  8. S/E : mi 4.71 - alt. 686 ft - Mare de Chappe

Notes

Make sure you wear good, waterproof shoes.

During the hunting season, check the hunting dates on the website of the Eure-et-Loir Departmental Hiking Committee:
eure-et-loir@ffrandonnee.fr

It is also possible to start from the Rond du Roi (2), which offers a larger car park, or from the Châteauneuf water tower.

Suggestions for long summer days

- Set off from Châteauneuf in the late morning. Have lunch at the Bois d’O restaurant in Chappe or have a picnic on the benches near the bus shelter at the junction of the D140 and D323.2. Visit the Labyrinth in the early afternoon, then return to Châteauneuf at the end of the day.

- Set off from the Rond du Roi, go for a walk and, on your return, drive to the Labyrinth.

Work on the road diversion is currently on hold. When it resumes, please take care in case you unexpectedly come across a roadworks site. The numerous paths and lanes will certainly allow you to get around it.

Worth a visit

Mare de Chappe and Gros Chêne (S/E).

Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais State Forest: formed by the merger of the former royal forest and various woodlands, it covers 1,734 hectares. It stretches the entire length of the town from north to south. It is soon to be crossed by a bypass, which is essential to reduce excessive traffic in the town centre. The tree felling work has already been carried out. The route of the new road has been marked out, but work is not due to resume for several months to allow wildlife time to adapt to the new landscape. Let us hope that the greenway routes are preserved and developed.

(2) Rond du Roi: an 18th-century pyramid. This structure is said to have served as a landmark and rallying point for hunts with hounds under the Ancien Régime. Roe deer, red deer and does are plentiful in the forest and hunting is still practised.

The Thimerais Maze D 140.15 Route de Hauterive https://lelabyrintheduthimerais.com/. April to September Tel. 07 75 71 77 32

Nearby

1 km away: Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais. 17th-century church: two beautiful wooden statues and a pulpit were installed here following the destruction of the important Abbey of Saint-Vincent des Bois, which once stood in the commune of Saint-Même.

1 km via the D 323.2

Château de Gland: visible from the road – private property.

Ferme de Gland https://ot-dreux.com/hebergement/la-ferme-de-gland/. Accommodation – Shows

Bois d'O Golf Club: restaurant – accommodation https://www.golf-bois-do.com/newsite/

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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