The Racounette Wash House

Park on Place de l'Église.

(S/E) Take Rue Sainte-Marthe to the left, with your back to the church. Note the “reposoir” on the left. Turn
immediately right onto Rue de la Cure. Walk past the Town Hall and continue for about 150m.

(1) At the rounded corner of an old house, turn left onto a path that starts near a beige gate leading to a private courtyard. This path runs between the houses and then descends, nestled amongst the vegetation.

(2) Once you reach the road, turn left to head back up towards the village. At the top of the hill, at the Logis de la Gorre (private property), turn right onto Route de Bénette. Take in the view of the woods of Pichenin, the village and its hamlets. Ignore the hamlet of La Servantière on the left and continue straight on until you reach a small road on the right.

(3) Turn right onto the small road towards La Chauvinière, opposite a gate leading to the pasture, and a little further on take the path that descends to the left (muddy in wet weather). Continue until you reach L’Autize.

(4) Pass the footbridge on the right (Logis de Pichenin route) and take the path on the left.
At the top of the climb, join the^GR® de Pays and continue straight on towards the hamlet of Bénette. Ignore the hamlet to the left and take the path leading down into the valley. Cross the Chancelée stream via a small footbridge and continue along the tree-lined path.

(5) Turn left at the first fork, then left again. Continue uphill along a path where water often flows from an abandoned wash house, the Lavoir des Loges. At the wash house, ignore the path leading off to the left; after 150m, join another path coming from the right and continue straight on.

(6) Turn left and after about 150m, turn left again, then right, and continue to the Route des 5 Hameaux.

(7) Take the road to the left to head down towards La Babinière. Go round the house, leaving the path on your left that leads to the hamlet of Le Petit Moulin. Pass in front of the Lavoir de la Racounette, fed by the Chancelée. (A pleasant spot for a mid-route break.) Further up, take the path on the right at the bend and continue straight on, leaving the path leading to the pumping station further on to the right, and just before the road, join a small path that descends to the right.

(8) Ignore the signposting and turn right onto a tree-lined path that curves to the right.

(9) Turn left onto the road and, after 50m, left again onto the path towards the water tower (^GR® de Pays)

(10) Ignore the red^GR® markings and take the path leading to the left of the water tower. A little further on, ignore the path leading to the left (yellow markings).
This section of the route can be particularly difficult due to the poor condition of the path, which is often flooded and very muddy, sometimes forcing you to walk between the trees, off the path.
After about 550m, you’ll reach a junction with a small road; continue straight on.

When you reach the road at a place called Pied Mollet, head up to the right, then left towards the village of Xaintray. Return to the car park (S/E).
(Option to take a detour to the right to the wash house 150m along Rue Sainte-Marthe at the bottom of the village)

Yellow-marked route.
Depending on the season, parts of this route can be very muddy, particularly after the water tower (10)
Wear high-top, waterproof shoes.

(2) You can make a detour to the right to Moulin Neuf to see the bridge over the Autize. Take the road on the right that leads down to the valley and follow the path on the left that goes round the house to the river – (private property).

(8) You can shorten the route slightly by continuing straight on along the yellow-marked path and rejoining the route after the water tower (10).

• Church of Saint-Eugène and Sainte-Marthe (S/E) link.
• The Autize and Chancelée valleys.
• Château de la Gorre.
• Views of the landscape and local heritage.
• Three wash houses.