The Bois Cornillé route in Val-d’Izé

The entire route is signposted with Green Triangles bearing the number 5 for the Vitré Agglomération routes. Standard yellow signposting may also be used. The description below was written by ‘Le Randonneur Breton’

Car park at the sports complex, Rue du Château in Val d’Izé

(S/E) Follow Rue du Château to the right for a few metres. At the end of the car park, take the path on the right which very quickly crosses the Ruisseau du Bois Cornillé. Walk alongside the football pitches along the footpath and turn right at the end of the first pitch. Walk alongside it, then turn left and cross a grassy triangle to reach a footbridge.

(1) Cross the footbridge to the left. Join the path which, after a bend to the right, leads to La Gaignardière and Rue des Hauts d’Izé.

(2) Take this street on the left for 50 metres, then turn right towards La Haie d’Izé. Continue along this road to reach the hamlet of Loirie.

Red and white markings for^{the GR®37}

(3) The^GR® comes in from the right; join it by turning left. When you reach La Jactière, take the path on the right. It passes a small pond on your left before joining a track on the right that heads due north.

(4) Follow it as it makes three sharp bends and leads to the access road to La Bourgonnière.
Carry on in the same direction, then keep to the left. Cross the D528 and continue along the path opposite. At the T-junction, turn left.

Green Triangle signposting

(5) Let the^GR® continue straight ahead and turn right. At the end of the path, turn left.

(6) After 300 m, continue to the right. Follow the road leading to Les Salles and La Larderie. On the road, 150 m after a left-hand bend, turn right onto a path. Leave La Veuvre on your right and head for the D105.

(7) Head left, then turn right towards Bois d’Izé and La Gillebretais.
After the^second hamlet, turn left, then ignore a path on the left. On the road, turn right and keep left at the next two junctions.

(8) Turn right to cross the Chenevessais. You’ll join the^GR®37. Head down to the left until you reach the crossroads, then first turn right then left to continue almost due south.
Cross the Landes de la Commune, passing the motocross route on your left. Keep left at the crossroads.

(9) Let the^GR® carry on straight ahead and turn right to join the D794 at Bourgneuf.
Follow this road to the left and leave it at Croix Saint-Laurent, turning right. At Le Grand Peu, continue to the left and enter Val d’Izé.

(10) Turn right into the^first street: Rue des Lys. At the junction, turn left into Rue de la Changeonnais. Continue along Rue Saint-Martin and turn right before the cemetery into Rue Saint-Florent.

(11) Turn left into Rue du Vieux Marché. Cross Rue de l’Église and continue straight ahead into Rue des Écoles. Follow Rue Saint-Étienne-des-Eaux to the left for 20 metres and join Rue du Château on the right to return to the car park (S/E).

You’ll notice two bell towers in Val d’Izé, as the town hall now occupies the^first 15th-century church, the Church of Saint-Étienne-des-Eaux, a Neo-Romanesque building constructed in the late 19th century at the request of the mayor at the time. Be sure to visit it to admire the mosaics by the Odorico brothers, Italian emigrants who settled in Rennes.
At the end of the walk, you’ll be surprised to see, on the façade of a modest house on Rue Saint-Martin, two statuettes depicting Saint Stephen and Saint Martin in a projecting window.

The Château du Bois Cornillé