The Tille Valley between Arcelot and Beire-Le-Châtel

Head to Arcelot. Coming from the direction of Orgeux, park on the left-hand side below the D960 (or Rue du Faubourg Gallas) just before crossing the bridge over the River Tille, in a large white-marked car park next to the river. Coming from Beire or Arc, go round the roundabout and cross the bridge over the River Tille towards Orgeux–Dijon, then turn right onto the first tarmac track leading downhill.

(S/E) From the car park, walk up the track to join the D960. Turn left. Walk along the pavement towards Arcelot Castle and cross the bridge over the River Tille. When you reach the roundabout, turn right onto Rue du Colombier (on the D34) towards Arc-sur-Tille. Walk along the wall of the castle grounds, keeping to the left. At the end of the wall, turn left twice.

(1) Take the stony track that runs alongside the castle’s boundary wall, heading left. Follow it continuously north-eastwards. At one point, it turns left and then, shortly afterwards, right. On the left, it runs alongside a fir forest before veering off at a pond. At the next junction of tracks, turn left so as to head uphill towards a fir forest.

(2) At the three-way crossroads, marked by the edge of the woodland and, further to the right, a quarry, continue straight ahead. Shortly afterwards, at another junction, leave the white track that branches off to the left and head into the undergrowth. Continue in this way to cross the Bois Guyot from one end to the other.

(3) On emerging from the woods, turn right. Follow the curved edge of the woods, keeping to the right along a grassy path, for its entire length. Once you reach the tip, continue up the path across the fields, heading north.

(4) At the T-junction, turn right. Head towards the woodland directly ahead. At the edge of the woodland, turn left to follow the edge, keeping to the right. The path veers to the right then turns left again very close to a hunting lodge and joins the road leading to Magny-Saint-Médard. Turn left to reach the junction of the C1 and D112e roads shortly afterwards.

(5) Cross it carefully, keeping to the left to join a partially tarmacked field track on the right. At the first crossroads of tracks, turn left at a copse to head straight on towards the hamlet of Vesvrotte.

(6) In the centre of the hamlet, there is a spring, a fountain and a cross overlooking it. Continue along the road, keeping to the right to leave the hamlet, and turn right at the next junction, before the 50 km/h speed limit sign. Follow the white, stony track for some time.

(7) Turn into the first field track on the left. At the end of this track, it joins the D960, near a wayside cross dating from 1875.

(8) Head left towards the village of Beire-le-Châtel. To do this, take the Route de Fontaine-Française before turning into the first street on the right, Ruelle Viennet. It is a short street with a steep descent. At the end of it, turn right onto Chemin de Gemeaux before veering left to cross the bridge over the Tille via the Chemin du Pont Veillot. Further on, take the first gravel track on the left, which cuts through the fields between the two branches of the Tille, leading, at its end, to the 13th-century castle of Beire-le-Châtel.

(9) Keep to the left to cross the bridge over the Tille and arrive at Place de la Charme and its wayside cross. Turn immediately right into Ruelle des Amours, with a view of the castle, a round tower and outbuildings. Follow it up to where it joins the D960, near Saint-Laurent Church and the war memorial. Cross the main road carefully, keeping to the right, then immediately afterwards turn left onto Chemin de l’Etrée.

(10) Head towards the community hall, keeping to the right at the next Fork in the road. At the end of the street, it joins the D112e. Turn right and carefully cross Rue Jules Lenoir, then turn left immediately afterwards to continue along the gravel track of l’Etrée towards the fields.

(11) Much further on, across the fields, at the only four-way crossroads of tracks, turn right towards the houses at Fouchanges. When you reach a metal shed on the left and a stud farm on the right, turn right to go round the Vignotte equestrian centre on the right-hand side. This will take you onto the D960 via Rue de la Care.

(12) Turn left onto Route de Fontaine-Française. On the left, admire an ornate wayside cross dating from 1800. Continue along the main road and, shortly afterwards, keep right onto Rue de Brognon, which descends towards the Tille. Follow the road, cross the bridge and take the^second gravel track branching off to the left. Walk past the pumping station. At the end of the track, it joins the Arceau–Brognon road.

(13) Turn left. Walk carefully along this village road, situated behind the grounds of Arceau Castle, until it turns sharply left towards the village. At this sharp bend, once you reach the hamlet of La Charme, turn a quarter of the way to the left at the green space with benches to admire an old wooden mill on the neighbouring property, partly hidden by the trees.

(14) Without entering Arceau, head due south along the gravel track opposite the green space. At the entrance to the Arceau sandpit, the track becomes a road. Take care as there may be lorries on the road.

(15) Just before the very first house in Arcelot and a crossroads, turn left at a concrete medium-voltage electricity pylon. Take a path that winds between coppiced woodland on the right and a horse paddock on the left. At the far end of the paddock, the path veers to the right and then to the left at a greenhouse. Go through the wooden gate on the right and follow a track suitable for vehicles running alongside the River Tille (signposted to the left) to reach the starting car park (S/E).

Bring walking sticks in wet weather as field and woodland paths may be waterlogged in places.
There is the option to have a picnic along the River Tille near Beire, depending on the season and water level.

- Arcelot Castle: listed as a historic monument, as is its grounds. The first buildings were constructed between 1711 and 1720 on the initiative of Philibert^I and consisted of a house comprising two pavilions. The present château was designed at the request of Philibert II, a councillor in the Parliament of Burgundy and grandson of^{Philibert I}, between 1761 and 1764. It is the first château in the Neoclassical style in Burgundy. It is situated between the two pavilions (the hunting lodge and the chapel). It is now owned by the Carrelet de Loisy family. A 45-hectare landscaped park, a variation on an English-style park. A 7-hectare lake dating from the late 18th century, with a Chinese pavilion on a small island in the middle.

- Originally, Arcelot had a medieval fort and a chapel dating from 1217. In 1636, the village was destroyed by Gallas’s troops during the War of the Two Burgundies because of its proximity to the border (between Franche-Comté, occupied by the Kingdom of Spain, and Burgundy, which belonged to the Kingdom of France).

(6) Vesvrotte: meaning ‘old road’. Formerly part of the estate of Beire-le-Châtel. In the 19th century, it thrived on agriculture, sheep farming, viticulture and iron ore mining. It comprised a château, an orangery, a dovecote and two farms. In its centre, a fountain supplies the commune’s only wash house (privately owned). The cross overlooking the fountain was erected in 1715. It features a holy water font on its plinth, which sits atop an octagonal shaft supporting a wrought-iron cross with trefoil-shaped ends.

- Beire-le-Châtel: BERIA in the year 630, meaning ‘plain’ or ‘countryside’. A hop-growing area, second only to Alsace-Lorraine, but also home to vineyards.

- The Veillot Bridge over the River Tille: also known as the Veuilley Bridge or the ‘Mère Noirot’ Bridge, it dates from the first half of the 19th century.

(9) Beire Castle: its origins date back to the early 13th century. At that time, it featured a tower. It belonged to Guillaume de Vergy, Lord of Mirebeau. Around 1880, alterations were made to the main building, the two round towers and the two turrets, and the moats – which were still filled with water in the 18th century – were filled in.

- The Red Bridge: formerly known as the La Charme Bridge or the Pontot Bridge. It is said to take its name from the red paint that covered it for many years.

- The Croix de La Charme on the square of the same name: dating from the second half of the 19th century. Carved from limestone, it stands 3.90 metres high. The medallion features the head of Christ.

(10) Saint-Laurent Church in Beire: dating from 1869 – in the Neo-Gothic style – built of LUX stone.

(12) Fouchanges – A beautiful, beautifully carved and crafted calvary, dating from the year 1800, situated within a private property on the left-hand side of Rue de Fontaine-Française.

(14) Arceau – At the green space with benches, turn a quarter of a turn to the left to catch a glimpse of a wooden windmill on the neighbouring property, hidden by the trees.

- Arceau: the name derives from a bridge spanning the River Tille, similar to Arc (Arc-sur-Tille). 7 November 1636: the villages of Arceau, Arcelot and Fouchanges were pillaged and set alight by Gallas’s troops.