The Château de Berrie through the vineyards and fields

Start from the car park between the town hall and the church in Pouançay.

Yellow markings
Markers or arrows on dedicated wooden signs at intersections (no markings outside intersections). The markings are one-sided, in the direction of this description. In some places, there are old yellow markings, which sometimes contradict the current markings: ignore them.

(S/E) When leaving the car park, turn right and walk past the town hall. After about 50 metres, turn left twice, pass a chain and go up the Ruette (cobbled alley). This leads to Rue des Coteaux, which you should follow to the left. At the next crossroads, turn right onto the D55 (Rue Jeanne Orgeron).

(1) Just before the Pouançay exit sign, turn right onto Chemin de la Bate (tarmac). Walk between the vineyards and, after a left turn, take the^first small road on the right. Climb up to the ruins of an old mill (orientation table on^{the first floor}). Continue straight ahead to the next crossroads, where the tarmac road gives way to a track.

(2) Then turn right. Further on, the track gives way to a grassy path. Go around a ruined building on the right and turn left then right. Go down a path and note the troglodyte cellars on the right. At the bottom (manor house opposite on the left), follow a lane on the right. At the fork, turn right. Cross the village of Pouant, noting several beautiful buildings.

(3) At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue du Moulin à Vent and go downhill. At the "give way" sign (small wooden calvary), follow a gravel track straight ahead towards the wash house. At the wash house, the track turns left.

(4) At the end, turn right onto a small road. Soon, the tarmac gives way to a gravel track. At the intersection at the end of a slight left-hand bend, take a path on the right. Pass under a high-voltage power line and you will come to the banks of the Dive (channelled here).

(5) Turn left and follow the river on your right along the grassy towpath (poorly maintained in May 2019). Continue straight ahead until you reach a bridge.

(6) At the bridge, turn left. Cross a small road and continue straight ahead on a grassy path between the fields. Climb up and pass under the high-voltage power line again.

(7) Shortly afterwards, turn left at a crossroads. After a slight descent, at a crossroads (elevation 52), go up a small road on the right. You will come to a larger road; follow it to the right and enter Haut Nueil (troglodyte caves on the left). Take the^first left, Ruelle de la Fuye.

(8) At the end, turn right onto Rue des Vignes. At the crossroads, turn left towards Berrie. At the crossroads (signposted as a shortcut), take Rue de Grittin, the road furthest to the right, which starts between two vineyards. At the end, first turn left then right onto the rural road with a 30km/h speed limit. The tarmac gives way to a track that you follow eastwards between the vineyards, with Château de Barrie in your sights.

(9) At the foot of the château, turn right onto a road. Then take the^first left, Rue des Douves. Walk past the church on your left and, at the foot of the bell tower, turn left, still on Rue des Douves. Just before the war memorial, a quick detour to the bridge on the left offers an interesting view of the moat. Continue by turning right at the foot of the war memorial. Take the^first left, Haute Rue, and climb the winding road.

(10) Ignore the access to the village hall on your right, leave Berrie and follow the D55, preferably on the left-hand side (be careful, the hard shoulder is narrow in places). After a small vineyard on the left-hand side and at the entrance to a slight right-hand bend, leave the road and take a gravel track on the left. At the end, turn right.

(11) At the crossroads, take the^second right, a stony track that runs between two vineyards. At the junction with a small tarmac road, turn right onto a grassy path that leads towards a wood. Enter the wood and continue straight ahead. Rejoin the D55 and take a first turn left then right to turn onto the rural road (tarmac) with a speed limit of 50km/h (take care when crossing the D55, as visibility on the left is limited).

(12) Just before the road enters the woods, leave it and take a grassy path on the left. Walk alongside a wood on your right, then a wood on your left. At the end of the path, follow a road to the left. Immediately enter Pouançay, cross Rue de la Plumerelle on the right-hand side and climb a little. At the fork, turn right towards La Motte-Bourbon. Pass in front of the church and return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Hiking boots are useful. The Dive towpath between (5) and (6) is very grassy (situation on the day of the hike): in wet weather, wear shoes that can get wet. The route is mainly in open terrain: bring appropriate sun protection depending on the season.

There are no water sources along the route.

A 1:25,000 map is useful (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 24 May 2019.

- Saint-Hilaire Church (15th-17th century) in Pouançay (S/E).
- Vineyard landscapes.
- Beautiful panorama with orientation table at the ruined mill shortly before (2).
- Beautiful buildings made of Tuffeau stone and troglodyte cellars in Pouant (3), Haut Neuil (8) and Berrie (9).
- Berrie Castle (12th-13th century, refurbished in the 19th century) (9).
- Berrie Church, after (9).