The Bois de Derrière

From La Souterraine, take the D1 towards the Occitane motorway. Turn off halfway onto the D71 towards Forgevielle. Continue straight on, then turn left and right onto the path called “Les Cloux”. Continue to the hamlet of Bonichaud. You can park at the edge of the small square where the starting sign is located.

(S/E) With your back to the houses, start by following the road to the right towards Forgevieille / Le Dognon, and after about 150 m, take the track that appears on the left. Cross the Ruisseau de la Corde to reach the railway line.

(1) Before the bridge, leave the track and follow the wide path on the right which runs alongside the railway line for about 1 km. You will come to a small road.

(2) Follow it to the right for 150 m. Then take a path on the left and follow it until you reach another road. Turn left and continue to the junction 50 m ahead.

(3) Turn right and walk along the small road which branches off to the left further on. Cross the D15 carefully and continue straight ahead on the track. You will come to a three-way junction.

(4) Turn right. Ignore the left-hand fork, then the right-hand one, and head down the main track, which then narrows before reaching the edge of the woods. Do not follow the wide path that appears on the left, but follow the route which curves to the right, and shortly afterwards turns left before crossing a narrow stream under the cover of the woods. Continue along this path, gradually climbing until you come out onto a road at Les Jarriges.

(5) Follow this road for 150 m to the right. When you see a house, take the wide track that appears on the left and follow it down towards a small wood, which you cross by turning left. Cross a small stream and emerge from the wood, continuing along a track. Carry on until you reach another junction.

(6) Turn right, walk alongside a pond and come out onto a road (D15). Follow this road for about 100 m on the left until you reach a path on the right at a dyke.

(7) Follow this path which runs above a stream. When you reach the houses, follow the road to the left, then leave it to take a path that winds sharply to the right and passes behind the houses. Further on, this path curves to the right and fords the previous stream. Continue along the path until you come out onto the road. Follow the road to the left to reach the hamlet of l'Age du Mont.

(8) Before reaching a farm, take a wide track on the right. Follow this straight path for nearly 1 km. Another track then appears on the left.

(9) Follow it until you reach a road.

(10) Then take the road on the right to return to the starting point :/A:.

⚠️ Work in progress along the railway line. Passage currently impossible between points (1) and (2).

The start is marked by an information sign.
The route presents no difficulties; the paths are wide and well-marked, and the ford is very easy to cross for most of the year.
Crossing the D15 is not a problem, as visibility is very good.
This walking route also serves as a mountain bike trail for much of the way.
There is no water point at the start, but there is one not far away, in the village of Bazelat (1.5 km).

The Redoutes burial mound: a reconstruction of an Early Iron Age necropolis (c. 500 BC) is worth seeing near Bazelat town hall. The original mound was uncovered in a field not far from the “Petit Dognon”.

Wash house, church and horse shoeing: all worth discovering in the village of Bazelat.