The Tonne Fountain in Vindelle

Car park and picnic area in the village of Puant on the banks of the Charente.

Green signposts

(S/E) From the car park, head left towards the village of Puant. Follow the road carefully towards Les Gélinards. Head up towards the village via Rue du Vieux Puits on the right. At the junction, continue right onto Rue des Gélinards.

(1) On leaving the village, turn right onto the track. Carry on straight ahead alongside the fields, head downhill and follow the edge of the woodland on the left. At the end, head back up alongside the hedge. At the top of the hedge, turn right towards the signpost, then head up alongside the vineyard to reach the road opposite an electricity pylon – offering a vast, almost 360° panorama. Follow the road to the left, then leave it immediately to take the one on the right and follow it to the next pylon – the crest opens out onto Vindelle and the hillsides of Balzac.

(2) Take the path on the right, which runs straight for 500 m, before turning left at a right angle to descend to the road. Head back up to the right, pass the model aeroplane field and turn left before the top of the hill. Continue straight on until you reach the road.

(3) At the crossroads, follow the Route des Sept Journaux to the left; leave this by turning right just behind the electricity pylon. Head up towards the hamlet of Le Cluzeau. Once you reach the road, take the Chemin des Érables on the right just above it and cross the hamlet. At the top, take the path on the right – initially tarmac – known as the ‘Chemin des Grandes Fenêtres’; signs point towards the Tonne fountain. Just before taking the dirt track, there’s a stunning view down over the valley.

(4) At the junction, turn right onto the Chemin des Carreaux. Opposite the lovely farmhouse, go down the Rue des Écureuils, turn left and then immediately right to find, directly in front of you, one of the oldest houses, thought to date from 1774. Turn left and note, on the right, a bread oven chimney attached to a house dating from 1859.

(5) Take the path on the right as indicated by the sign. You will arrive at the Tonne fountain. Continue along the path which climbs towards the orientation table. A beautiful hundred-year-old lime tree stands on your left.

(6) Turn left. At the crossroads, take the road to the left for 250 metres before turning right onto the dirt track that descends alongside the grounds of the Domaine de Chantemerle. Continue to the junction with a small road where there is a beautiful ancient oak tree

(7) Cross over and follow the sign opposite indicating the path; take this immediately to the right, between the stream and the cultivated field. At the other end, walk past the houses in the village of Puant to return to the starting point (S/E).

Contact: Pays d’Angoulême Tourist Office: 05 45 95 16 84

(S/E) The village of Puant owes its name to the foul odours once emitted by the processing of hemp, which was left to ‘rot’.

(5) You’ll arrive at a wonderful spot for a well-deserved refreshing break; be quiet so you can spot a beautiful green frog or a salamander. A little further up, discover the spring emerging into the open air after a long underground journey, flowing out of a channel carved into the rock. The high concentration of carbonates causes the porous rock to solidify, extending into the upper basin of the fountain.
(E) As you leave the Route du Moulin and cross the bridge, you can climb up to the viewpoint overlooking the village from Puant Hill, then head back down for a refreshing stop by the banks of the Charente.