The crosses and wayside shrines of Montours

To return to the starting point in Montours, coming from Saint-Germain-en-Coglès, after a right-hand bend, turn right into Rue du Sacré-Cœur, just before the church. Pass the street leading past the cemetery on your right and take the first street on the left. The Clos Breton car park lies between the school and the community hall.

Yellow markings for^{the PR®} “Route de Terre Rouge”

(S/E) Leave the car park via the road that goes uphill and turn left to walk alongside the school playground.
Carry on to the right and go down the natural steps. Continue northwards along this path.
The path leads onto the Route du Haut Chemin. Follow it to the left.

(1) Carry on straight ahead to the crossroads, with a wayside cross on your left. Take the road on the right and join the D103. Follow it to the left for sixty metres and turn right towards Clos Janvier.

(2) At the right-hand bend, carry straight on along the path and follow it until you reach a road.
Turn right and carry on straight ahead, crossing the Rousserie Davy.

(3) When the road takes a wide bend to the left, turn onto a track on the right. Carry on along this track as it bends sharply to the left. Cross a road and continue straight ahead.

(4) Before you reach the first houses in La Boulaie, turn right and head for the D15.
This isa dangerous crossing as vehicles travel at high speed – this is the slip road to the A84 motorway.
Carry on straight ahead northwards to Monpson.

(5) Take the tarmac track on the right and continue eastwards. Pass Le Grand Clos on your left and reach La Valnais. At the end of the road, turn left.

(6) Turn right onto the footpath and follow it first to the Petit Valnel, then on to the Pendant.

(7) Follow the road to the right, crossing the Grand Valnel. Cross the D15 again, taking great care, and continue straight ahead. The path leads to the junction marking the end of the circular route.

(1) Turn left and, 100 metres further on, take the path on the right to rejoin the car park via the path you took on the way out (S/E).

(6) Off the route: continue for 200 metres along the road to reach the little chapel of Valaine.

Whilst it is true that, being situated on granitic soil highly conducive to legends, these ‘croix bouëssées’ have lost their boxwood enclosures, the crosses placed at crossroads are said to have a pagan origin: as a night-time gathering place for the ‘dansous’ or revenants, they would stop late-night passers-by for a frenzied dance that would exhaust them, allowing them to regain their strength only at daybreak.