The Woods of Saint-Romans and the Grande Brousse

(S/E) Leave the Town Hall on your right and head away from the D101. Turn left into Rue de la Cantine, then take the first small road on the right (farm buildings).

(1) Take the first path on the right, which is lined with trees. At the end of the path, turn right onto a small road and walk alongside the pond. At the junction, note the ‘Pompe’ next to a well and a wash house. Here, the locals used to pump high-quality water for their own consumption and for their livestock.

(2) Retrace your steps and continue straight on along the road.

(3) Take the second path on the right; this path is not lined with trees. At the end, first turn right then left and follow a path heading west-north-west.

(4) At the T-junction, turn left onto a shaded track. Cross a small road and continue straight ahead through the open fields.

(5) At the Fork in the road, turn right. Ignore a path branching off to the left, then two others to the right. Walk alongside the Bois de Saint-Romans on your left until you come out onto the D106 road.

(6) Turn sharply left and follow the road carefully.

(7) After a copse, turn right onto a tree-lined path.

(8) At the T-junction, turn left onto a path lined with a small hedge on the right-hand side. Pass through the hamlet of La Chamerie (farm on the right) and continue straight on.

(9) At the T-junction, turn left onto a tree-lined path. Cross the D106 with care and carry on straight ahead. The path is no longer shaded; the fields are open. As you approach the hamlet of La Grande Brousse, continue along the path, which becomes a small road.

(10) Cross the Route de Chizé with care and carry on straight ahead along a very shaded path. At the end, follow a small road on the right. Go round the hamlet of Le Petit Viron on the right. Carry on east-southeast until you reach a junction.

(11) Turn left, then ignore a path branching off to the right. Cross the Route du Bois de la Chagnasse with care and follow the small road opposite with caution. At the next junction with another small road, continue straight on towards the north.

(1) Carry on straight ahead. Just after passing some large farm buildings on your right, turn left into Rue de la Cantine. At the first junction, turn right and return to the car park (S/E).

The car park is situated in Saint-Romans-des-Champs, arranged in a staggered formation along a road that runs past the Town Hall and the Village Hall on the left-hand side when looking at the front of the Town Hall from the D101 road.

This walk across varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

This route is unmarked but presents no real difficulties. Consequently, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, whilst also paying attention to the landscape.

Walk completed by the author on 26 April 2018

Saint-Romans-des-Champs
Although it is the smallest and least populated commune in the canton of Prahecq, Saint-Romans has been inhabited since the Bronze Age (artefacts preserved in the museums of Niort). First mentioned at the start of the 13th century, the village was originally called Saint-Romain-des-Champs. Romain of Rome, a soldier and Christian martyr of the 3rd century, was commemorated on 9 August. Every last Sunday in July, the local rural entertainment association organises its traditional threshing festival.

The Church of Saint-Romain:
It belonged to the archpriesthood of Melle, and its parish was appointed by the abbot of Charroux. In 1536, Hilaire Brisson founded the chapel known as the ‘Brissons’ chapel’ there. The modest sanctuary was vaulted and fitted with a small bell tower in 1688. Demolished in 1866, the parish was then merged with that of Brûlain.

The Oratory of La Fragnée:
This is the only place of worship in the parish. It was built by Jean Cordomi, a stonemason from Saint-Romans, on the road to La Fragnée, near the cemetery which replaced the old one in 1784. A plaster statue of the Virgin Mary, from the church in Brûlain, was installed in 1954. As it had become damaged, it was replaced in 1994 by another, made of stone, acquired in Lourdes.

The Puits Neuf washhouse:
In days gone by, women would rinse their laundry with water from the well, which, thanks to a pump, also filled two reservoirs for watering livestock. A face of a washerwoman was carved into the well with a knife by a man who did not, however, frequent the place at the time. The washhouse was renovated in 1995.