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Car park at the Espace Beauchesne multi-purpose hall on Rue de la Mairie, on the right at the entrance to Saint-Hilaire-de-Voust on the D19 when approaching from the south.
(Out and back) Head to the start of the path at the cross. From the road, follow the path to Rue de l’École and turn left.
View of the bell tower overlooking the village of Saint-Hilaire.
(1) Turn right after the thuja hedge to enter the sports ground. Walk behind the changing rooms and head for the road opposite. Turn left, then, after 50 m, turn right into the housing estate on Rue du Parquet.
At the end of the street, take the grassy path that starts between two oak trees. Go round the log fence.
Carry on straight ahead, cross the road to reach the street opposite and enter the hamlet of La Maison Neuve.
At the end of the street, go round the house with a canopy over the entrance on the left.
(2) Behind the house, take a path on the left before the small building (this path is not shown on the map) and head down into the woods. Once you reach the river, turn right, leaving the footbridge on your left.
(3) After about 300 m, enter the meadow on the left via a very narrow passage at the foot of a cherry tree. Walk along the edge of the meadow, cross the stream (ford with concrete slabs) and turn left. Follow the edge, keeping to the trees alongside the stream, until you reach the zigzagging gap in the fence which leads to a path through the woods. This section crosses private property. There is no marked path on the maps, but a yellow mark on the trunk of the cherry tree at the entrance to the meadow clearly indicates this direction.
Once on the path, continue straight ahead. A little further on, ignore the path on the left that leads towards the river.
Take in the meandering course of the Vendée river as it winds through the valley. When you reach the road, turn left, cross the bridge over the Vendée (Pont Ricard) and head up the hill.
(4) Turn right at the top of the hill and, when you reach the hamlet of Crépeau, turn right past the house with a veranda and walk through the farmyard.
Continue along the path under the chestnut trees and enter the forest (a short section not marked on maps). When you reach the farm, take the tarmac road to the right and continue for about 800 m.
(5) At the top of the hill, turn left and walk for about 1 km to the Hommère farm. A small tarmac road with a grassy central strip. A splendid view of the surrounding countryside.
(6) After the farm, at the end of the green wire fence running alongside the road on the right-hand side, take the tree-lined path on the left as it curves round. The path runs through a narrow valley between two hedges, occasionally offering glimpses of a magnificent landscape to the left.
(7) The signposts indicate turning right, which would take you straight back onto the road, depriving you of a pleasant little shaded path. So, turn left and, when you reach the house, veer to the right to go down a small path through the woods to the Route de Barbelay, where you should continue straight on. Once you reach the road at the top of the hill, turn left towards Saint-Hilaire-de-Voust to reach the hamlet of “Le Tudé”.
(8) At the bend, by the electricity pole, turn left onto the grassy path that leads downhill and joins the small road heading towards Le Rocher, which we passed earlier. Carry on straight ahead.
(9) At the D19 county road, turn right and then immediately left at the cross. After the hamlet of La Favrie, turn left, pass the sewage treatment plant and continue to the D49.
(10) At the road, note the replica of the Grotto of Lourdes opposite, then turn left and cross the Pont Bert.
Then take the first street on the right towards La Jaumarière. After about 150 m, turn left onto the Chemin des Quarante Sous, which joins the Rue de Mairie, opposite the cross, the starting point.
Cross the road to reach the Town Hall car park (S/E).
Association / Club / Walk leader
Visorando Member
Moderate 
