The ‘Orée des Bois’ route in Riaillé

Park in the car park near Riaillé church.

(S/E) With your back to the sign describing the walk, set off straight ahead, slightly to the right, along Rue de l’Abbé Trochu. After a left-hand bend, you’ll reach Rue de la Mauvraie. Turn right onto this street until you come to a road on your left.

(1) Turn left, cross Rue du Plessis with care and head straight on along Impasse du Bois Joly. Continue until you come to the start of a path on the right.

(2) Follow this track, which goes round a very large sawmill, turns left at a right angle, passes a large pylon, and comes out onto Rue de Bretagne. Head left for a few dozen metres and turn right onto Chemin du Patis. Ignore a few turnings on the right or left and carry on until you come to a small road at a cross on the left.

(3) Turn right and cross the Poitevinière. Pass a Stop sign and carry on until you reach a road (D14).

(4) Turn right and, very soon, turn left onto a wide track. Carry on until you reach a footbridge leading off to the left at a right angle.

(5) Take the footbridge, and turn right immediately afterwards. Carry on straight ahead until you reach a junction with a small track coming from the left.

(6) Turn right, then immediately left. Follow this path along the edge of the woodland until you reach a road (D26).

(7) Turn right and walk carefully along this road until you find, on your left, the entrance to the Chemin de la Grande Balise. Take this and continue along this wide path, ignoring an entrance on the left, then a junction and finally another entrance on the left. You’ll come to a crossroads.

(8) Turn right onto the Fontaine-Marie track. Continue to the second junction.

(9) Turn right onto the Layon de la Touche Ronde, which descends sharply and then climbs steeply to cross the Ruisseau du Colombeau. Carry on straight ahead, ignoring a turn-off on the right, until you reach the start of a wide path on the left.

(10) Turn left onto this path until you meet a path coming from the left. Continue to the right until you reach a junction where three paths meet.

(11) Carry on straight ahead to reach La Cour du Bois, in the Riaillé neighbourhood. Continue to a path entrance further down on the left.

(12) Turn left onto this path, which forms a hairpin bend relative to the road. It winds its way around a housing estate, keeping it on your right. Continue until you reach a path entrance that climbs up to the right.

(13) Take this fairly narrow path, which bends at a right angle before reaching Rue de l’Orée des Bois.

(14) Turn left onto this street and follow it until you reach the car park on the left, behind the church (S/E).

• There is a car park near the church in Riaillé.
• The walk starts at the back of the church, where you’ll find a sign describing the route.

The walk is clearly signposted in yellow. Please note that at the start, you must set off from Rue de l’Abbé Trochu, which runs round the church. The clearly visible directional arrow indicates the route taken in the opposite direction (which is, of course, possible).