The Beaumont-la-Ronce blackberry trail

Parking spaces are available at the junction below the castle, at the crossroads of the D766 and D29a, behind the town hall. This walk is not signposted.

(S/E) At the town hall junction, follow Rue du 11 Novembre (north-east) to the fire station. Immediately after, turn right then left to continue along a path. Further up, walk past the sports facilities then turn onto the next path on the left. When this path veers left, continue for a few more metres until you find, on the right, a tarmac ramp leading down towards the road.

(1) Go down and cross the road with care, then climb back up a winding ramp to reach the edge of a wood. Continue along the path to the right and ignore the forest track to the left. At the next fork, ignore the path on the right and continue along the track, which enters the forest. At the fork, take the forest track on the left. Continue straight on until you reach a junction of several tracks (Rond de Saint-Hubert).

(2) Follow the path on the right, marked with a small blue sign. A few metres further on, another small sign directs you to continue straight ahead. At the next junction (Carroi des Hallonnière), turn right and continue to the next junction (Rond de la Courterie).

(3) Continue straight ahead to the junction with the D5.

(4) Continue straight on until you reach a house, La Huberdière. Continue along the path, veering left until you reach a junction with a road. Follow this road to the right. At the next junction, continue to the left, then, at the one after that, turn right to join the D29.

(5) Follow it to the left for a few metres: take care as it is a busy road, then cross over to take a small road on the right towards Moulin de Beaumont. Continue along this road until you reach a bridge. Note the old mill on the other side of the river. Turn left just before the bridge and continue along the river to reach a path. Carry on in the same direction and you’ll come out onto a small road at La Logerie.

(6) Follow this road to the right to reach La Roche Bourdeil. Opposite a beautiful house (Blue Cross on the ground), turn right, then left shortly afterwards, and then right again to reach a pond situated on a hillside. Ignore the path on the left to go under the pond, pass under a power line and continue until you come out onto a small road near a house.

(7) Continue straight on along this road. At the hamlet of Les Commaillères, the road veers to the left. Shortly afterwards, turn into the small street on the right, in front of a house, to come out at a crossroads. Turn sharply right then continue in the same direction to cross a wood.

(8) You’ll come out into a field and turn left onto the path at the edge of the woods. Further on, the path turns left then right and leads onto a road.

(9) Take it on the right, then further on, turn onto the first road on the left. Pass through the hamlet of La Monvallètterie. Further on, the road veers left at Le Petit Coudray then turns right to reach a crossroads.

(10) Turn right onto the path. Further on, take the path on the right to see the Bollée wind turbine. Then return to the road and continue to the right until you reach the crossroads shortly afterwards. Turn right, pass La Guillonnière and continue to the junction.

(11) Turn left, then take the first road on the right. At La Perrière, take a very narrow road on the left until you reach a junction with a path. You’ll find the yellow markings again. Turn left; further on, ignore a path on the right and then a path on the left, and head up through the fields.

(12) At the next junction, turn left, then take the first path on the right. Further on, at the junction, ignore the path going up to the right and take the path going down to the left. Turn immediately right to come out onto a road. Then turn left to return to the crossroads at the foot of the castle (S/E).

In the forest, pay close attention to the description, or use the Visorando app, as the names of the paths and crossroads are not indicated on the ground. In addition, the paths differ slightly from those shown on the map.
Some paths can be very grassy. It is best to wear clothing that covers your legs well.
Hike completed in 2016, updated in 2022

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

(S/E) Beaumont-la-Ronce. Legend has it that around the year 400, Saint Armel built a hermitage on a hill covered with brambles. The village was built in the 12th century.

The Château de Beaumont-la-Ronce. This is a beautiful private château that has been remodelled several times since the Middle Ages. The square keep dates from the 13th century. The eight-sided brick tower dates from the 16th century.

Shortly afterwards (10). Bollée windmill. These windmills were built around 1900 by the Bollée brothers to pump and raise water to a height of about 30 metres in order to supply water to neighbouring castles. In Touraine, you can see another Bollée windmill in Esvres.
L'Échandon and Le Becquet
The Indre Valley between Esvres and Courcay

The title of this walk is, of course, a nod to the name Beaumont-la-Ronce. However, there really are a lot of brambles along the paths, and it is possible to harvest a good crop of blackberries at the end of summer.