Le Chambon and La Ligueure

Parking is available in the car park next to the Place de la Mairie in Augé.

(S/E) Leave the car park and join the Route de Saint-Maixent (D6), following it carefully to the right as it descends. On leaving Augé, take the old road on the right, cross the Ligueure stream and head for the junction immediately afterwards.

(1) At the crossroads, turn right and, at the end of the straight stretch, take the farm track straight ahead on the left-hand side, which climbs and passes through the hamlet known as l’Aunée d’Augé. See the source of the Aunée d’Augé at the foot of the house (private wash house). Continue straight on up the track until you reach a small road. Turn left towards La Cour d’Augé. After the right-angled bend to the right, turn right towards La Renolière until you reach the first farm track on the left. At a bend in the road, at elevation 95, note the spring and the washhouse that belonged to La Renolière.

(2) Turn left and follow the farm track until you return to the road leading to La Cour d’Augé, with its traditional houses and a wash house. This track serves as a drainage channel in the event of heavy rain. Follow the road carefully for about thirty metres to the right, then turn right onto a farm track heading south-east. The track veers to the left and offers lovely views of the village of La Cour d’Augé.
Further on, turn right onto the first path leading uphill on the right. Follow it straight on until you reach a road.

(3) Cross it carefully and continue along the path opposite, slightly to the left and downhill. Carry on straight ahead to the crossroads in Perré. Before entering Perré, near a bamboo grove on the left-hand side of the path, take a short detour to see the spring that feeds the Perré washhouse (the spring is protected by a metal cover). As you enter Perré, the path becomes a tarmac road with the charming name of Chemin de Tartifume.

(4) Turn right and follow a small road along the edge of the plateau with care. After leaving the hamlet, you’ll see several Protestant family cemeteries. Continue to the next crossroads. Turn left towards Mautré and proceed with caution to the next crossroads, where there is a road on the left.

(5) Turn left onto this small road, Rue des Champs de la Reine. Continue by taking the path on the left just as the road veers to the right. The track descends steeply down the hillside, passing a wash house (on the right-hand side), then a family cemetery, before joining a farm track at the bottom of the valley where the Chambon flows. Turn right for about a hundred metres, then turn left and join the road leading to Puy Belin just before the bridge over the Chambon. Follow the road across the Chambon and continue to the Puy Belin wash house on the left-hand side of the road.

(6) A little further on, before the entrance to the village, turn right onto the steep lane leading up to the village with its typical farmhouses.
When you reach Rue de la Fosse aux Loups, turn right and do the same at the next junction. Shortly afterwards, turn right onto a path known as Rue des Greux. Continue along the hillside until you reach a T-junction.

(7) Turn right and follow the wooded hillside of Font à Chaux, which overlooks the Chambon. The path joins a farm track; take this by turning right towards the Chambon. Shortly afterwards, cross the Chambon via a remarkable old bridge of Roman origin, not far from the confluence of the Chambon and the Ligueure. The farm track soon joins a road.

(8) Turn right and follow the road carefully to reach the former noble dairy farm of Valette. Continue straight ahead along a stony track that descends towards the La Ligueure stream before running alongside it.

(9) Just as the farm track makes a sharp turn to the right, take the path on the left heading towards the stream; cross it via a bridge at a ford, and climb towards La Rochette until you reach its wash house on the left-hand side of the path.

(10) When you reach a forest track, turn right towards Peumont. As you approach Peumont, at a place called Les Échassières, the track gives way to a small road. There is a lovely view of the Moulin de Coutard below on the right-hand side. When you reach the first buildings in Peumont, turn right onto the stony path leading downhill. It can sometimes be very damp due to the spring that bubbles up at the foot of the hillside.

The path leads to the remains of the old tram line from Champdeniers to Saint-Maixent,
built in 1913 but never used because of the war. Continue along the track to the Route de Coutant (D174). Follow it carefully to the right for about twenty metres until you reach the junction with Rue du Stade.

(11) Cross the D174 very carefully and turn left into Rue du Stade. Continue straight on along a stony track that follows on from it. At the T-junction with a road leading to Monteuil on the left, turn right and walk alongside the sawmill until you come out onto the D6, Rue de Champdeniers, at the top of the village of Augé. Turn right and follow Rue de Champdeniers with great care. Pass on the left at Chemin de la Foye and continue for about fifty metres.

(12) Then turn left onto Rue Serpentine, which climbs steeply. Turn right onto Rue de la Croisée and, a little further on, turn right onto the Sentier des Rocailles, marked by stars on the ground. Continue to the cliff without going down to the D6 road. When you can see the church, climb the steps on the left up to Rue de la Croisée, where there is a fountain on the right. Turn right and follow Rue de la Croisée north-eastwards, passing a pump-operated fountain. Turn right down Rue Mélusine and, a little further on, turn right into Ruelle des Escaliers. There is a viewpoint overlooking the valley that encircles the village of Augé and the turrets of Champmargou Castle.

Continue to the village washhouse and Rue du Lavoir Saint-Grégoire. Turn left and continue until you reach Rue de Cueille Bellevue on the left a little further up. Follow this road until you rejoin Rue Mélusine. Walk down Rue Mélusine. Just past the junction with Rue du Lavoir Saint-Grégoire, turn right onto Ruelle Saint-Grégoire, which leads to the church. Then walk back up Rue de l’Église, turning to the right , and you’ll see a 17th-century house on your right. Turn left onto Ruelle des Passeroses, which slopes downwards, just before you reach Rue du Lavoir Saint-Grégoire again. Pass Place Michel Jamonneau (a native of Augé, “La liberté”, 1658–1708, who was a soldier and pioneer in Canada).

Continue to Rue de la Poste. Turn right onto this street and follow it carefully until you reach the junction with the D6 road. Cross the junction with care, head towards the town hall square on the right and return to the car park (S/E).

The car park is situated next to the Place de la Mairie in Augé, right next to the Bains Douches.

Alternatively, there is another option to park near the church on Rue de la Poste, and also at the point marked (1).

This walk across varied terrain requires suitable footwear. At least three sections of the route follow paths that act as a stream bed if there has been heavy rain in the preceding days.

The route is marked in yellow as it is a circular route (of the same name) proposed by the Deux-Sèvres Departmental Hiking Committee and has been the subject of a guide published by the Deux-Sèvres General Council in accordance with the provisions of the “Hiking in Deux-Sèvres” quality charter. In addition, it is advisable to follow the map and route description published on Visorando, whilst paying close attention to the landscape.

Hike completed by the author on 15 April 2022. A very quiet route. The only spot likely to be somewhat busy is the Roman bridge (accessible by car).

Augé
Augé is of interest for its many sites and monuments:
Saint-Grégoire Church, listed as a historic monument, with parts dating from the 11th century; its chancel was rebuilt in the 13th century in the Angevin Gothic style.
The chapel of the Saint-Hilaire priory, possibly dating from the 11th century.
Several wash houses and fountains.
A picturesque village centre on a hillside.
The site of an attack on a German convoy in August 1944. In retaliation, the Germans set fire to part of the church. Seeing that the local doctor was treating the wounded Germans, the hostages were released.
Ruins of Augé Castle (not visible, situated on private land).
Ruins of Plessis Castle (not visible, situated on private land).
__Château de l’Houmelière.
Champmargou Castle.
Numerous Protestant family cemeteries (mainly in Coutant).
- Ruins of the viaduct of the former TDS tram line (which never opened).
Source: Wikipedia (excerpts)

Azay-le-Brulé
The origins of Azay
Azay has very ancient origins, and its territory has been inhabited since time immemorial, as evidenced by the numerous flint tools found in the area: axes and scrapers made from flaked stone; others made of polished stone from the localities known as: Cerzeau, Blanchon, Chamier, La Borne, Jaunay, Mons and Le Clatreau. These remains tend to prove that the village was inhabited by early humans.
There are two sites indicating ‘settlements beneath the rocks’ which bear witness to the presence of a very ancient population. These are: La Grotte, in the Sèvre valley, and Les Roches, in the Chambon valley.
There are also two sites called ‘Pierre Levée’ – one near Jaunay and the other near Fonvérines – though the druidic stones that seem to have given them their name are no longer to be found there.
Closer to home, the Gauls built a major road leading to the coast and passing near Azay. It is known today as the “Chemin Chevaleret”. Bedane, or “Bec d’âne”, is an ancient oppidum, with two springs on either side and an underground passage with an exit on each side as well. The oppidum was a fortified settlement built on high ground, originally of wood during the Early Iron Age and of stone in the Late Iron Age.
Surveillance and defence posts along the ancient routes, manned by small detachments, were established near Azay. Two localities – Les Chateliers, one near Villaine and the other between the Sèvre and Kadoré – bear witness to this.
Following the conquest of Celtic Gaul, the Romans occupied the region. One of them, a prominent figure named Asius, gave his name to the locality. Other Romans settled in various parts of the commune, where traces of their lavishly built dwellings, known as ‘villas’, can still be found.

The Roman Bridge
The Roman bridge spans the Chambon stream near the hamlet of Valette. Roman bridge or Romanesque bridge? What we can say with certainty is that it is very old and that it replaced a ford on the Gallic track known as the ‘Chemin Chevaleret’, linking Poitiers to the sea. This track, which is still recognisable today, was improved by the Romans and used until the early 18th century to travel to fairs and drive livestock there.
Source: the town’s official website.