Amidst fields and woods around Leigné-les-Bois

Park in the square in front of the town hall in Leigné-les-Bois, a village of around 600 inhabitants, situated 10 km west of La Roche-Posay and the Creuse valley, and 20 km east of Châtellerault in the Vienne valley. There are plenty of parking spaces available in the starting area.

(S/E) Walk round the town hall on the left, then round the back of Saint-Rémy Church (12th–15th century), to reach the junction with the D15, where you can turn left towards La Roche-Posay. Walk down towards the wash house (19th century) and carry on straight ahead, still heading towards La Roche-Posay. Continue along the D15 for about 250 m, passing the cemetery on your left.

(1) 50 m after the cemetery access road, turn right onto the farm track. Follow it for 1.2 km, keeping straight on, across fields and then along the edge of the woods. You’ll come to a right-angled junction.

(2) Turn left and, after 400 m, take the track on the right, towards the old Ricatellerie farm.

(3) At this junction, turn left onto a well-maintained track and you’ll reach the D15.

(4) Cross the road carefully, then take the track directly opposite. You’ll enter a wooded area. Continue on to the hamlet known as Le Ribatoux.

(5) Walk past the farmhouse, then take the farm track on the left. After walking for 1 km through fields and woodland, you’ll reach the edge of a pond; walk alongside it for 100 m.

(6) At the corner of this pond, turn left at the junction. The path, which is not clearly marked, runs alongside the pond for 150 m then branches off to the right to run alongside a wooded hedge for 500 m, until you reach the next crossroads.

(7) Turn right onto the path which slopes gently downwards. After 500 m, pass between two (private) ponds, then head uphill until you reach the D134, and turn left onto it.

(8) Walk alongside the D134; there isn’t much traffic, but watch out for cars all the same. After about 400 m, you’ll come to a path on the right leading into the forest.

(9) Walk 150 m along the edge of the forest until you reach the next junction. At the fork, turn onto the forest track on the left to head deeper into the forest. At every junction you come to, keep going straight on until you reach a local road.

(10) Cross it, carry on straight ahead, leaving the Goulinerie farm on your right, and at the next junction, take the path opposite. Pass the Pavillon – a charming manor house – on your right and continue along the path. After a 400-metre climb, you’ll arrive at La Chauffetière.

(11) Take the tarmac road on your left; after 75 metres, turn right and walk for about 400 metres, between houses below on your left and fields on your right. At the first junction, carry straight on; a few dozen metres further on, you’ll come to a road on your left.

(12) Turn left; after 100 m, cross the main road with care and take the path directly ahead towards the Fontaine Saint-Rémy.

(13) Walk past the fountain; a few metres further on, at the junction, turn right, then, at the top of the hill, when you reach a tarmac road, turn right. Continue until you reach the D15. Turn right, walk past the washhouse again, then head up towards the church to reach the town hall (S/E).