Circular loop around the ponds from Les Ressuintes

Les Ressuintes, D941 between Senonches and La Ferté-Vidame. Turn left coming from Senonches just after the Étang d’Haron. Parking near the church.

No signposting

(S/E) With your back to the church at Les Ressuintes, head right towards the town hall via Rue du Perche. At the crossroads (picnic area), turn right then right again onto Rue de l'Aulnay to pass near the partly ruined farm. Reach the D941.

(1) Follow it carefully to the right along the dyke of the Étang d'Haron for 200 metres, staying on the wide verge at the edge of the pond. At the end of the dyke, cross carefully to take the Route de l'ancienne gare on the left.
Continue straight on, to the left of the house, along the path that passes through a tunnel under the old railway line, near the station. Follow this path, which becomes a road at the entrance to La Puisaye. Pass by the children’s playground, the tennis court, the picnic tables, the car park and the boules court; don’t miss the wash house below (where the GRP® Vallées de la Blaise and de l’Avre meet).

Yellow and Red + Yellow markings

(2) At the square, turn left then right into Rue de la Meuvette. Near the bridge, there are picnic tables and access via a footbridge to a fitness trail. The road follows the river. At the equestrian centre, continue straight ahead to the dyke of the Étang de Rouge au Minerai.

No markings

(3) At Le Minerai, leave the GRP®. Head up the road to the right, cross a junction and arrive at the houses of La Villeneuve.

(4) In the hamlet, turn right onto the second path (after the local information sign), which runs alongside meadows before entering the woods of La Saucelle. Continue to La Ligne à Jacob, where you rejoin the GRP®.

Yellow and red markings.

(5) Follow it to the left along the Ligne à Jacob for 1.5 km, ignoring all the side paths. On leaving the woods, turn right to follow the edge. At the end, the path turns left along a field and reaches the road known as the “Chemin de la Fontaine des Forges”, soon arriving at the Château de la Hézière.

(6) Continue straight ahead on the road, then leave it after 200 m to turn onto the path on the left. Walk a few metres and you will find the entrance to a footpath on the right which leads into the Senonches National Forest. The path climbs. A few metres before reaching the crossroads, it passes beneath a remarkable, unmarked tree: two trees have grown together at the top and fused.

(7) At the crossroads, turn right towards La Bénette. The path crosses the bridge of the old railway line. Continue alongside the Gervaine valley, a small stream that was once channelled and used for timber floating. (Remains of the embankment a little further on to the right) Reach a small pond (private) and follow it to its end.

(8) At the end of the small pond, turn left into the path. Follow it for about 200 m, then turn right onto a path that winds through the woods and reaches the D 941. Cross it carefully, follow it to the right, then head left across the car park towards the information boards and arrive near the picnic tables at the Étang de la Bénette.

(9) From the pond, follow the path to the left, lined with information boards about mushrooms. This path leads to a wide avenue which you take to the left until you reach the Rond de Sauveloup, where you leave the GRP®.

No signposting

(10) Take the second lane on the right, cross the Rond d’Haron, continue straight on and arrive at the Rond des Quatre Barrières on the edge of the national forest. Old signpost in the centre.

(11) At this roundabout, follow the second unpaved lane on the left. Do not stray from the path; private woodland lies to the right. Continue to the Rond des Hussards. You will meet the Tour des Collines du Perche, signposted by small orange signs placed at crossroads.

(12) Turn immediately right and follow the path straight ahead, which joins a lane that you take to the right until you reach the edge of the woods, near La Pommarie. Further on, the path becomes the Allée du Maupas and arrives at a junction on the Route de Bel Air before La Pommarie.

(13) Turn right onto the D38.3 at the edge of the woods. Pass a crossroads and then the foot of a water tower. Continue through the fields to La Boufferie.

(14) Turn right, passing through Les Grandes Épines and arriving at the entrance to Les Ressuintes opposite a beautiful farmhouse. Turn right to reach the church. (A shortcut is possible by continuing straight on at La Boufferie). Wash house and communal land behind the church. (S/E)

Wear good waterproof shoes, as the paths can be muddy in winter.
This route is not recommended during the hunting season.
For information on hunting dates and locations: Senonches - La Ferté-Vidame Tourist Office, La Puisaye Town Hall. (No hunting in the national forest on Sundays).

Wildlife watching, mushroom picking.
L'Étang de la Bénette: guided tours, enquire at the Tourist Offices.
Senonches, 7 km away: castle museum, shops, accommodation.
La Ferté-Vidame, 4 km away: shops, accommodation. Maison Saint Simon Museum, Castle Park.
Chapelle de Réveillon, frescoes.