Villefermoy Forest - Southern Circular Loop

Departure from La Chapelle-Rablais Town Hall. Several parking options:
- Opposite the town hall, Place de l'Église (4 or 5 spaces).
- Along Rue du Relais.
- In the spacious car park opposite the school, behind the town hall when viewed from the church.

In the commune of La Chapelle-Rablais, the paths are generally signposted (in addition to the streets).

Yellow markings

(S/E) Head south on Rue du Relais towards Les Moyeux. At the stop sign, turn right, still towards Les Moyeux. Cross a residential area, ignoring the perpendicular alleys and squares. At the crossroads just before the sign for the exit from La Chapelle-Rablais, turn right towards Les Montils. Pass between the Haras de Moyeux buildings on the right and the Château des Moyeux buildings on the left. Then follow a training track for trotters and horse pastures on your right.

(1) Just after the sign for Les Montils, leave the road and turn left onto Chemin du Midi des Montils, which quickly becomes grassy. Walk alongside a meadow and then fields on your left, and hedges or garden fences on your right. Pass a lawn on your right, turn left and continue on the same path between fields and gardens.

(2) Go through a metal gate, cross the D67 road, continue straight ahead and go through a chain across the path (the chain is for vehicles, not pedestrians). At the end of the path, cross a second chain, come out onto a small road and follow it to the left. At No. 48, turn left onto Chemin de la Mutésie. After about 150m (pond), turn right, enter the forest and follow a stream on your right.

(3) At the crossroads, turn left onto Chemin de la Forêt and walk along a fence on your left. Stay on the main path in the forest, walk briefly along the edge of the forest, continue through the forest and ignore a path on the right (not shown on the map).

Yellow + green markings

(4) At a junction with less marked paths, turn left. After about 150m, join a farm track and continue in the same direction, due east.

(5) Cross the D67 again and take the Chemin de l'Étançon opposite, where the Villefermoy landscape link begins (information sign). Follow a small stabilised path through a corridor of bushy vegetation; along the way, cross a stream via a footbridge.

(6) Cross the D56 and continue opposite on a narrower path surrounded by vegetation. Don't hesitate to clear a branch or two... Cross the D213 (be careful, busy road), make a zigzag turn to go along a small car park on your left, and continue south-southeast on the scenic route. Amidst the dense vegetation, pass a pond on your right. Walk briefly along the edge of the field on your left and continue along the path. Then walk along a field on your right and continue to the edge of the forest.

(7) At the corner of the field, turn right (do not enter the forest) and follow a track through the grass. Continue along the edge of the forest on your left and the field on your right, on a path that is more or less well marked and very grassy. Turn left, still along the edge, and at the end of the field, join a clearly visible wooden footbridge, cross it to cross a stream and enter the forest.

(8) At the end of the footbridge, turn left. After a few metres, turn right and follow a good grassy path southwards. Cross a forest track, continue straight ahead and you will arrive at Carrefour des Gargots (sign).

Yellow + red and yellow markings

(9) At the crossroads, turn left onto a wide path (ignore the green markings on the right). After a few metres, leave this path and take a narrow trail on the left (look carefully for the start of this trail at the foot of a young tree marked with signs). Continue east-northeast on this faint trail through very dense undergrowth. The best landmarks are a stream on your right, which you should never stray too far from, and the dense markings on this section.

(10) Cross a wide grassy path and continue straight ahead on a narrow, inconspicuous path. Cross a few small streams perpendicular to the one on your right and pass a pond on your left. When the vegetation becomes too dense, veer left and you will come out onto a forest track.

(11) Follow the track to the right and head east to Carrefour de la Commanderie (not named on the map but indicated by a sign on site), where the stony track gives way to a grassy path.

(12) At the crossroads, turn left (the purple line on the IGN map is inaccurate here). After about 100 metres, at a junction, continue straight ahead, veering slightly to the left. At the end of the path, turn right and walk along a fence on your left.

(13) At the T-junction, turn left onto Chemin du Trénel. At the metal gate on the left, veer right. Leave the forest and continue between the fields. Cross the D213 again (take care) and follow Chemin de Saint-Germain opposite. Walk north along the edge of the woods and then slightly inside the woods. You will come out onto a small road (D56) and follow it to the right.

No markings

(14) At the junction with Chemin du Buisson du Houx, on the right-hand side, leave the marked trail for a moment and continue a few metres along the road to the entrance gate of Château des Moyeux (beautiful view of the castle). Retrace your steps.

Yellow + red and yellow markings

(14) Follow Chemin du Buisson du Houx eastwards (to the left when returning from the château). Walk along a wood on your left, then continue between the fields. Cross a small road (D29) and continue along a farm track. Ignore a path on the right and you will immediately come to a crossroads (large stone with markings).

No markings

(15) At this crossroads, turn left towards the water tower (ignore the markings continuing straight ahead). Note the imposing buildings of the Ferme des Clos in the distance on the right. Pass a football stadium on your left and continue along a small tarmac road. At the first houses, continue straight ahead, ignoring the side streets and dead ends. At the junction with Rue des Noyers, turn right and pass between the church apse and a pond (wash house). At the foot of the war memorial, turn left and you will immediately come to the town hall (S/E).

Hiking boots are necessary. Some sections of the forest may be wet.

No water sources identified along the route. Bar in La Chapelle-Rablais, Rue du Relais (S/E).

1:25,000 map required (at least the one accompanying this description). Compass useful.

Warning:
Three sections are in dense vegetation:
- The Villefermoy landscape link between (6) and (7).
- The route along the edge of the woods between (7) and (8).
- The trail through the undergrowth between (9) and (11).
This situation may be temporary for the first two sections (it was the case in July 2017), but it is permanent for the third. As a result, it is advisable to wear trousers rather than shorts, to undertake this hike in dry weather and to avoid the day after rain.
As things stand, I do not recommend this hike for a walk with children, as this type of terrain may discourage them.

Hike completed by the author on 5 July 2017.

- Saint-Bon Church in La Chapelle-Rablais (restored in the 19th century) (S/E).
- Forest trail with a few ponds, including a section in the undergrowth away from the wide paths.
- Château des Moyeux (19th century) (14).
- Wash house by the pond at the end of the route.