Wild fountain, sacred fountain

At the entrance to Pont-de-Ruan, just before crossing the Indre, park in a small car park on the right of the D17.

Please note: this route is not signposted.

(S/E) Return to the D17, cross it and turn right to cross the Indre. At the end of the bridge, note the small oratory dedicated to Sainte-Apolline on the left. On the other side of the Indre, at the small roundabout, take the first street on the left.

(1) Shortly afterwards, turn left again onto a small road. Look out for the red and white markings of^{the GR®®46A}, which you will follow until further notice. Immediately cross the Thilouze. The road quickly gives way to a path. Further on, at the end of a meadow, on the left, take a path for 10 metres to discover the Fontaine du Carosse.

(2) Return to the path and follow it to the left. Further on, pass a pumping station on your right and you will come to a small road.

(3) Leave the^GR®® which branches off to the left and take the road on the right. Ignore a blue marker which immediately branches off to the left. Follow the road through the hamlet of Haut Village. At the end of the road, at a farm, turn left onto a path. Continue to an intersection with a road, in a bend.

(4) Ignore a path opposite and turn right. Look out for a blue marker, which you should follow until further notice. Further on, walk alongside a wood on your left. At the end of the wood, turn left.

(5) At the crossroads with a road, continue straight ahead on a small road that soon ends. Continue on the path that extends it, through the undergrowth. At the next crossroads, continue to the right (signposts), across the fields. You will come to a small road.

(6) Leave the blue markings that go left and follow the road to the right. You will come to another small road, opposite a bus stop. Note the stone cross on the left, the Croix Maurice. Turn right onto the road. Further on, do not follow the road to Bois Cornu on the left, but continue slightly to the right until you reach the entrance to the hamlet of Le Crochet.

(7) Do not enter the hamlet but, at an old oak tree, turn left onto a path. Continue along this grassy path. Further on, you will see a small wooden post with a yellow marker, then a second one further on. Shortly afterwards, you will come to an intersection marked by a marker post higher up.

(8) Leave this yellow marker and turn left into the undergrowth. You will come to a small road in the hamlet of Gué de la Cour. Take the road on the right and cross the Thilouze.

(9) Immediately afterwards, leave the road that veers to the right and take a wide path on the left. Continue along this path until you reach a crossroads with a small road.

(10) Continue straight ahead and shortly afterwards you will pass orchards on your right. Ignore a small road on your left and you will come to an intersection.

(11) For those who do not like long stretches of road, see "alternative route" in the "practical information" section.
Turn left, following the direction indicated by a yellow arrow. Enter the undergrowth. Ignore the paths branching off to the left and right. The path veers slightly to the right and leads to a road.

(12) Turn right and follow the road, which has little traffic, on the hard shoulder. Pass a pylon on the left, then a beautiful renovated house on the right. Ignore a small road on the right and continue until you find the old wooden gate of the Château de Valesne on the left, which can be seen a little further up.

(13) Continue along the road for a few metres, then turn onto the first road on the right. Notice Château de la Chevrière on the left, in the distance behind you. Cross the hamlet of La Blotière, ignoring a road on the left. Shortly afterwards, ignore a road on the right and continue on the road that veers to the left. When the road ends, continue on the path on the right, between two properties, until you reach an intersection.

(14) Turn left and continue straight ahead, passing municipal facilities and then sports fields on your right. Enter the village of Pont-de-Ruan.

(15) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead on Rue de la Corne d'Or. Turn right onto the first street, Rue de Belle Croix, then left onto the next street, Rue Saint-Brice, which leads to the church. Go around the church on the left. Turn left onto Rue des Vallées.

(16) Take the first street on the right for a round trip to the Sacred Fountain and the wash house. Back on the road, follow it to the right to return to Rue Saint-Brice. Follow it to the right to cross the village. Ignore the small road on the right marked by the^GR®®46A, which you took on the way there.

(1) Continue straight downhill to reach the Indre river. Cross the road and take the bridge on the downstream side. Pass in front of the Moulin Meunier mill and its two large wheels, then return to the car park (S/E).

Shorter alternative route that avoids 1.5 km of road (with little traffic): At the crossroads (11), turn right and continue straight ahead for about 1 km to reach the crossroads (14). Continue straight ahead and follow the main description.

The paths are very muddy in winter.

Discover more walks in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

The village probably originated from a ford that allowed people to cross the Indre river at this location. In the 12th century, the village took the name Pont-de-Ruan, as a bridge was built to replace the ford, which was no longer usable due to the construction of mills and the reservoirs needed to power them.

Between (S) and (1): The Indre River and its mills are a beautiful sight. Upstream from the bridge is the large Moulin Balzac mill and downstream is the Maison Meunier. The wheels of this mill are currently being renovated.
Oratory dedicated to Sainte-Apolline, on the bridge, upstream and village side.
The Thilouze, which we cross twice, just after (1) and just before (9), is a small river that rises nearby, in Neuil, and flows through the village of Thilouze before joining the Indre at Pont-de-Ruan.

(2) Fontaine du Carosse, a pretty wild fountain. It is not marked on site.

Between (6) and (7): La Croix Maurice, an old stone cross.

(7) Old and beautiful oak tree.

(13) Château de Valesne, which can be seen from the road.

Between (15) and (16): Holy Trinity Church

(16) The Sacred Fountain: a miraculous fountain renowned for curing rheumatism. Pilgrims visited it until the early 20th century. Wash house on the Thilouze. Small oratory.