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Park at the Laurent Armel stadium, in the hamlet of Besse (D 725, Thuré). In Besse, take Rue du Pont de la Groie, which leads through the countryside to the stadium, signposted on the left, near the Ligne Verte.
(S/E) Return along the road you took by car. Cross the Ligne Verte and immediately turn left onto the white track which leads straight to Les Girauderies. Walk past the house and continue straight along the grassy path. When this path splits, take the right-hand fork.
(1) About thirty metres after passing a house, do not continue straight on but turn left onto the grassy path (not always well maintained) which runs alongside a fence and then crosses a small wood. At a fork in the road, turn left. At the junction 400m further on, turn right. Continue straight ahead, ignoring a path on the right. You will then reach the tarmac road; leave the two small roads on your left that lead to the “Le Pas de la Groie” equestrian centre (signposted). You will come to a junction.
(2) Turn left here and, about 150m further on, turn right. When the small road bends to the right, leave it and continue straight on along a path that approaches the D725. As you reach the road, turn left onto a path that descends slightly. A few metres further on, you’ll reach the Ligne Verte (recognisable by the barriers reserved for pedestrians).
(3) Take the Ligne Verte to the right. At this point, the path is narrow and you must walk in single file. Continue to the Andritz factory and go round it on the left.
(4) At the corner of the factory, turn right, and at the T-junction that follows, turn right. Finally, turn left to reach the D725.
(5) Cross the road. Be careful: go round to the left behind the houses to join the white track. Follow the Ligne Verte for 250m but do not take it. Then veer right towards the Haut Clairvaux keep, visible in the distance. Join the D23d and follow it for about fifty metres.
(6) At Le Pot aux Chèvres, let the road curve to the right and take the grassy path to the left of the houses. A little further up, the path splits in two: take the right-hand fork to Rue de la Tour. Follow the street to the left and walk alongside the walls of the Château des Robinières (built of tuffeau stone). At the junction, continue straight on and you’ll come to a junction with a narrow lane on the right.
(7) The next lane on the right (Chemin du Donjon) leads up to the keep (signposted). It is worth going to the foot of the keep (unmarked route), but archaeological excavations are blocking the way. Continue for a few dozen metres, then turn right onto Rue du Chêne. Then take the first right, Chemin de la Chapelle, which leads to the foot of the keep and the chapel, crossing the large grassy area.
(8) Retrace your steps.
(7) Take a small grassy path on the right that winds down between the houses and joins Rue de la Source. This street leads to the wash house (take the small path on the left to go down to the wash house).
(9) Head back up and take Rue des Sources again, on the left. You’ll come out onto Rue Hugues De Clairvaux; follow it to the left. At the junction, carry straight on and head down to “Le Pressoir”. Turn right and continue for another 800m along this road, crossing Route de Sossay. Carry on straight ahead onto Rue Catherine de la Haye.
(10) After about a hundred metres, turn left to cross the Ligne Verte. Walk 50m and cross the Grand Rue de Scorbé-Clairvaux. Continue along Rue des Quatre Vents. At the crossroads, turn left and head towards the old market halls (behind the walls, at the far end of the square, lies the hidden castle which houses the chess museum).
(11) Walk alongside the market halls. At the T-junction with Rue de Vilvert, first turn right then left, then turn left behind Rue de la Belle Allée, which leads to the church.
(12) Walk past the post office and continue to the carillon on the right of the town hall. Continue left onto the Grand Rue and take the first right, the Route de Sossay. Cross the Rue de la Gare and join the Ligne Verte.
(13) Take the Ligne Verte on the right. Walk past the old station and stay on the path until you reach the D725.
(5) Take Rue des Piédrons again and then turn left to go behind the factory.
(4) Let the Ligne Verte turn left and continue straight on along the grassy path which, after about 400m, joins a dirt track. Follow this dirt track to the right, ignore the first path branching off to the left, continue straight on and enter a wood.
(14) At the next junction, turn left. Walk alongside an enclosed pond with a house until you reach a small road. Turn left and then immediately right onto the grassy path (before the small rise in the road signposted Fontpourry). About 600m further on, turn left and continue through the forest and then out into the open.
(15) At a junction, note the riding centre on the small road to the left: continue straight on along the path for 300m to reach the greenway. Follow it to the junction signposted Thiours.
(16) Leave the path at the picnic tables and take the path on the left. At the large rubbish bins, turn right to go round Les Coubillons farm.
(17) Return to the Ligne Verte, cross it (picnic tables on the left) and take the white path just behind it to the left. After about 200m, turn right onto this path then left, and head straight back to the stadium (S/E).
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