The Bois de Cathelogne

The walk starts at the memorial to an act of the Resistance on the D 24, south of Danzay.

(S/E) Head north and ignore the three paths on the left, pass through the hamlet of Les Champs and continue to the T-junction.

(1) Take the road on the left, then at the left-hand bend, go straight on along the track and continue straight on at the next junction. On the right, you’ll see the Logis de Salette, then you’ll reach the D 142.

(2) Take the road on the left for a few metres, then turn right towards Pillemil. Continue until you reach the uphill track that passes in front of the goat farm. This narrow track can be difficult to navigate in winter. Follow it, after a right-hand bend, until you reach a four-way crossroads.

(3) Turn left, head towards the hamlet of Le Vigneau Nord and walk through it until you reach the D 130.

(4) Set off carefully along the D 130 to the left. Follow it for just over 1.5 km, ignoring the roads to the right and left, until you reach a track on the left, just past La Pilotière du Haut.

(5) Take this path downhill, which runs alongside the woodland until it reaches the D 142 at La Croix de Salette.

(6) Turn right and walk carefully along the road for 900 metres until you reach the first path on the left, which leads into the Bois de Cathelogne.

(7) Follow this path down through the woodland to the bottom of the valley. After a bend, you’ll see a first pond on your left, followed by a second. At the end of the second pond, a wooden gate blocks access to Cathelogne, a private estate which hikers are permitted to cross. To the left of the gate, a passageway provides access. In summer, you can cross the ford over the Saint-Rémy stream; in winter, go round the side of the pond through another gate – which you must open and close – cross the bridge over the weir and exit through another gate. Continue along the small, stony and sometimes damp uphill path until you reach a crossroads.

(8) Carry on to the left until you reach the next crossroads.

(9) Turn left, ignore the next two paths on the left and arrive at La Vacherie with its wash house. Continue slightly uphill to Lacheneau.

(10) Take the path opposite the farm buildings and walk past a house on your right. Continue straight on until you rejoin the original route at Les Champs.
Turn right, ignore the two turnings on the right and return to the starting point near the memorial stone (S/E).

This walk can be very wet in winter, so you’ll need sturdy footwear as some sections are over rocky ground.
Depending on the season, there may be a section that is difficult due to brambles.
Take care on the roads, although there is little traffic.

The memorial stone commemorates an act of resistance. It marks the clandestine burial of two 20-year-old resistance fighters belonging to Triangle 16.
The Salette farmstead dates from the 15th century and is a fine example of a Cistercian farm. It features a dovecote and a 12th-century chapel.
The wash house at La Vacherie is one of nine wash houses in the commune of Saint-Georges-de-Noisné and is still in good condition.