The Chapel of Notre-Dame de Montceau

Start from the^second car park at Espeluche Town Hall. (Gravel area)

(S/E) Head towards the village along Route de Châteauneuf. At the junction, turn straight ahead onto Grande Rue, pass the fountain on Place Royale (with the seigneurial bench on your right) and take Rue de l’Église.

Walk past the church, ignore Rue de Larinier on your left, then turn left onto Boulevard du Levant. Turn right onto Chemin du Moulin, head down to the left and walk past the mill.

(1) Cross the small wooden footbridge on your right. Head back up to your right and walk past the stadium to reach the main road. Cross with care, take Rue du Bosquet straight ahead and, once at the end, continue along a stony path (Chemin de l'Oratoire). Turn left and continue to Chemin de Moïse.

(2) Turn right. Ignore the first path branching off immediately to the left. The path becomes stony: ignore a second path on the left and continue to the next junction.

(3) Follow the path to the right. Further on, at a left-hand bend, the track splits: stay on the track to the left. Continue straight ahead, ignore a path branching off to the left, then you’ll come to a crossroads. Go straight ahead to reach the entrance to a property (Refuge ASPAS).

(4) Take the path that climbs to the left and goes round the property. Ignore the steep climb on your left. The path splits in two (green marker), take the descent on your right down to the road (Chemin de la Biscarat).

(5) Turn left and follow the road straight on until you reach Chemin de Ramette.

(6) Turn right and go down Chemin de Ramette to join the D126.

(7) Turn left towards Malataverne and continue for a few hundred metres: be careful, this is a dangerous stretch. Turn right onto Chemin de Famboulle and follow the road to a crossroads. Turn right, cross the bridge, then turn immediately right onto Chemin de la Chaussée. Follow this path to the left, ignoring the Chemin du Pont Romain which goes straight on, and pass in front of the house. Continue straight on along the path, which turns to a dirt track, towards the hamlet of Les Ferreints.

(8) Turn left towards the hamlet, pass the wash house and continue straight on towards the Stop signs and the 30 km/h zone end sign. A few dozen metres before the crossroads, take the path that climbs up into the vineyard on the right and follow it on your right-hand side.

At the second vineyard, continue straight ahead along the path that leads back down. At the end of the second vineyard, continue along the small path on the right that runs alongside the last row of vines, keeping the vines on your right. This path leads back up to a tarmac road: turn left, then take the path on the right before the Stop sign and follow it to the dirt car park.

(9) Turn slightly right onto the main track in the middle that climbs, ignoring all the turnings to the right or left, and you will reach a crossroads.

(10) Keep to the left and continue uphill. Ignore a path leading down to the left and continue straight ahead on the track. At the top of the path, before reaching a slight bend to the right, take the path climbing up to the right at almost a right angle, which soon joins another path. Follow this path on your left as it continues to climb and then descends. At the junction, turn right to join the main track, which you follow to the left towards the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Montceau.

(11) From the chapel, on the main track, take the small path that branches off to the left between the pine trees. The path curves slightly to the right: turn right, continue downhill and ignore the path branching off to the left. Further on, ignore the first path leading downhill in front of you; take the second one on the left (the two paths eventually join, but the view is nicer on the^{second one}).

Ignore a path branching off to the left, continue down the path which curves to the right and joins another path leading downwards. Turn left on the descent, ignore a path branching off to the right, rejoin the track and continue to the left. At the junction, turn right.

(12) Turn right again onto Chemin des Himounettes, which becomes tarmac further on. Ignore a dead-end on the right and carry on straight ahead. Ignore another path going uphill to the right, carry on straight ahead to the junction, turn left and go down the long straight stretch to the crossroads.

(13) Turn left towards the care home, continue round the bend to the right towards the Statue of Jesus. Cross the D126 with care to take the stony path opposite, ignoring the ‘dead end’ sign.

Follow the path which climbs up a gentle left-hand bend and then curves slightly to the right. At the junction, turn left towards the red and white barrier, step over it, walk about twenty metres and take the small path leading off to the left. Continue straight on until you reach a stony path; veer left down the slope to join the tarmac road

(14) Turn left, then right onto Rue de la Colline. After the third house, take the small path on the left and turn right to pass under the archway. Follow Impasse du Coulet, then turn left onto Rue du Serre du Coulet to reach the D126. Cross at the overpass and return to the town hall car park (S/E).

(S/E) Toilets and water point in the courtyard during town hall opening hours.

Walking sticks recommended.

At point (4), you can go straight on to reach point (5). You will cross a property where dogs are sometimes left to roam freely (they live there) but are not aggressive. So if you have pets, please keep them on a lead or simply follow the marked route.

- The Seigneurial Bench

- The Chapel of Montceau

The pretty narrow streets with old façades and old windows.