La Cornelière

Covering an area of 5,518 hectares, the Mervent-Vouvant forest complex includes a 2,530-hectare state-owned forest. It is home to a rich variety of plant species. The most common species, the sessile oak, can reach a height of 35 metres at 200 years of age.
The suggested route follows paths and forest lanes in the north-eastern part of the forest.
The multitude of existing paths allows you to extend or shorten this walk as you wish.

Details

n°1136952

Creation:
09 May 2018

Last update:
02 Sep 2022

Last review:
04 Sep 2023

Activity: Walking
Distance: 10.46 km
Average duration: 3h 05
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 31 m
Descent: - 40 m
Highest point: 122 m
Lowest point: 72 m

Country: France
District: Mervent (85200)
Start/End: N 46.552061° / W 0.716346°
IGN map(s): Ref. 1427SB
Hour-by-hour weather

Avalanche risk assessment bulletin

Discover Visorando Premium

Downloads

Open in the mobile app

Download GPX GPX

Download PDF PDF

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in front of the Maison Forestière de la Cornelière, situated on a small road to the left branching off the D65 between Croix Méraud and Epagne.

(S/E) Head east, cross the D65 with care and follow the Allée de la Cornelière opposite. Turn left at the farm and continue straight on.

(1) Turn right onto the^GR®364and the^GRP® de Mélusine.

(2) Just before the pond, take the path on the left that leads into the forest (ignore the various markings). This part of the route is often damp and a bit muddy.
Once you reach the Allée des Cosses, continue to the right for about 100m, then leave the lane and take the path on the left that leads into the woods.

(3) Turn left onto the Allée de Bonneraie (picnic area on the right). Continue straight ahead (west), ignoring all turnings on the left. Cross the D65 carefully and continue straight on for about 300m.

(4) Just after the small house on the right, turn left before the log barrier. Follow the path which goes round the old Couvent des Robinières on the right; through the vegetation, you can make out some remains of the walls.

(5) At the T-junction, follow the path on the right.

(6) At the end, turn left and continue to the Ruisseau des Verreries.

(7) After the stream, turn left onto the path leading uphill, the Allée du Pont Mathé (closed to traffic).

(8) At the junction, turn right onto the small path marked in red and white, the^GR®364route. Stay on the^GR® until you reach the Stèle des Martyrs.
Note the two or three gigantic anthills lining the path on the left just before the stele – avoid disturbing them or lingering too long nearby, or you risk having your legs colonised.

(9) At the Stèle des Martyrs, continue left onto the Allée des Ragottières.

(10) After about 300m, the path continues to the left.

(11) At the end, turn right onto Allée du Pont Mathé. A little further on, leave Allée du Royoux on your left and join the small tarmac road. Continue straight on to reach the Forest House (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 95 m - La Cornelière Forest House
1 : km 1.32 - alt. 102 m - Junction - GR364
2 : km 2.07 - alt. 101 m - Crossroads before a pond
3 : km 3.37 - alt. 121 m - Allée de Bonneraie
4 : km 5.44 - alt. 107 m - Trailhead on the left
5 : km 6.15 - alt. 90 m - Allée
6 : km 7.09 - alt. 84 m - T-junction
7 : km 7.46 - alt. 72 m - Ruisseau des Verreries
8 : km 7.82 - alt. 84 m - Turn right onto the GR364
9 : km 8.43 - alt. 80 m - Martyrs’ Memorial
10 : km 8.86 - alt. 79 m - Intersection
11 : km 9.46 - alt. 90 m - Allée du Pont Mathé
S/E : km 10.46 - alt. 95 m - La Cornelière Forest House

Notes

You can start from the junction of the D65 with Allée d’Epagne and Allée du Couvent, just before point (4), or from the picnic area near point (3) on Allée de Bonneraie.

Worth a visit

(9) The Martyrs’ Memorial was erected in memory of the five members of the Maquis and one civilian who were shot on 17 August 1944 in the Haute Forêt de Mervent. These heroes of the Resistance were shot in retaliation for the death of a German sentry in Fontenay-le-Comte.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5

Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5

Ease of following the route
5 / 5

Route interest
4.5 / 5

GILMIC79

04 Sep 2023 at 08:57 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, completely shaded walk. The only thing to bear in mind is that the car park in front of the forest ranger’s house is actually just a tiny strip of earth by the side of the road (it started raining during the walk, and it only took two steps on the way back to the car to get a thick layer of sticky mud under my shoes!). Next time, I’ll go for the suggested alternative.

Machine-translated

phbizet

24 Oct 2022 at 11:45 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant forest walk, particularly recommended on a sunny autumn’s day – a day that’s ideal for spotting mushroom-picking spots (you might even bump into some foragers).
This route was combined with the Mervent Lake–Citardière Castle route to extend the walk to 23km. On this particular day, the walk allowed us to witness a hunt in the Mervent forest, with the barking hounds, the elegant horses, the horns echoing deep in the woods, and the magnificent stag with its antlers against this forest backdrop – yet no guns and a very courteous hunt master.

Machine-translated

Jacky Dalançon

02 Sep 2022 at 12:02 7200

That’s right, some paths have been altered, and there’s some construction work going on. The person who suggested this route to our walking club (La Roche) had us set off from Épagne near the headframe; then, in the forest after the memorial stone, we took the Allée de la Cornélière, the Allée des Cosses and then the Allée d’Épagne. Another shorter route (we always offer two routes: 6–7 km and 10–11 km): head to the memorial stone, turn back and follow the GR 364 to rejoin the Allée des Cosses (please note that there have been changes to the routes).

Machine-translated

Jacky Dalançon

01 Sep 2022 at 12:13 7200

That's right, some paths have been altered, and there's construction work going on.

Machine-translated

jlfaure

01 Sep 2022 at 10:42 7200

Thank you for your initial suggestion. To keep the route to around 10 km starting from the St-Michel headframe, I’d suggest another route, still within the Mervent Forest. The possibilities are almost endless, but it’s worth checking as the base maps are often inaccurate, not to mention the forestry work in progress...

Machine-translated

Jacky Dalançon

31 Aug 2022 at 17:13 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb, little-known route through the Mervent Forest.
You can start at the car park by the St Michel headframe on Rue de la Mine (picnic tables)
This allows you to explore the houses that made up the mining village when the mine was in operation: take Rue de la Mine on the right and shortly afterwards turn left onto Rue des Corons, then right (a small street between the houses).
When you reach Rue de Bonneraie, turn right and a little further on turn left to find an uphill forest path.
At Allée d’Épagne, turn right and follow the signs. On the way back, head down the lane as you did at the start...

Machine-translated

cpignon

09 Sep 2019 at 11:54 7200 • Edited: 01 Jul 2020 at 14:52 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The route runs 99% through the forest – perfect for anyone who loves trees and the cool air in summer.
There is very little tarmac; I’d say 95% of the route consists of forest paths and tracks.
It’s an easy route with very little elevation gain.
The route description and map on Visorando are excellent.
Picnic facilities and toilets are available on Allée de Bonneraie, 100 metres from the route.
Thank you.

Machine-translated