Les Sapins des Pauvres

de fr

The name adopted at the time of the merger refers to the location of the two villages situated in the valley at the confluence of the Arche and Hune streams. The area has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by the dolmen on the border with Tresson, dating from the Neolithic period, and the ancient road – the Via Turniacensis – linking Le Mans to Blois; passing through Volnay and Saint-Mars-de-Locquenay before heading towards the Loir Valley. This facilitated the development of large agricultural estates, explaining the presence of numerous fiefdoms in medieval times, of which few traces remain (Champion, Pois, Le Grand Yvay, Mèleve, Sargilet), with the exception of La Chesnaye, which incorporated most of them during the Modern Era (16th–18th centuries).

Details

n°97699313
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.37 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 302 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 289 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 541 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 348 ft
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Photos

Winter in Saint-Mars-de-Locquenay

Description of the walk

Start at the village square, car park.

(S/E) From the village square, on the town hall side, take the D90 towards Maisoncelles and turn right at Moulin de la Chesnaye.

(1) (Near Le Roi David, you can take the 700-metre detour.) Otherwise, turn right onto the dirt track towards the forest. Cross Les Sapins des Pauvres and turn right. Before the D208, turn left, pass in front of La Pointe, go up the sunken lane towards Les Dagueries, go straight through this hamlet and then turn left onto the main road. You will reach the edge of the forest.

(2) Continue along a sunken lane to the right. Head back up through the woods to the four-way crossroads.

(3) Turn left, then cross the Route de Maisoncelles and continue towards Le Bordage. Take the dirt track straight ahead to the D90.

(4) Cross it (take care) and turn onto the Chemin creux du Buisson. Turn right, follow the hedge, turn right and follow the
Route des Zigous for 200 metres.

(5) After the bend, take the path on the left. Follow it through the woods on the edge of La Talonnerie. At the crossroads, turn left (the old Chemin aux Bœufs) until you reach the D65.

(6) Follow it to the left for 800 metres (take care).

(7) Turn right onto Chemin des Folliettes. Then turn left towards the hamlet of Laire and turn left again towards La Taille.

(8) Continue and follow the road to the left, then left again onto Chemin de Montgoubert. Continue along the sunken lane to the hamlet of La Vallée.

(9) Turn left onto the small road, then right. Leave it on the left towards Le Fougeray and continue straight on along the small sunken lane to join the D65.

(10) Follow it to the right (take care) for 100 m, then turn right again onto a road for 1 km and turn left onto Chemin de Prête-à-Rien until you reach the D90.

(11) Follow it to the left towards the village (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 361 ft - Village square
  2. 1 : mi 1.16 - alt. 433 ft - King David
  3. 2 : mi 3.22 - alt. 522 ft - Edge of the forest
  4. 3 : mi 3.77 - alt. 525 ft - Crossroads
  5. 4 : mi 4.71 - alt. 518 ft - D90
  6. 5 : mi 5.49 - alt. 479 ft - Bend in the road
  7. 6 : mi 6.94 - alt. 515 ft - D65
  8. 7 : mi 7.61 - alt. 482 ft - Chemin des Folliettes
  9. 8 : mi 9.06 - alt. 449 ft - La Taille
  10. 9 : mi 9.54 - alt. 394 ft - La Vallée
  11. 10 : mi 10.25 - alt. 374 ft - D65
  12. 11 : mi 11.14 - alt. 351 ft - D90
  13. S/E : mi 11.37 - alt. 361 ft - Village square

Notes

  • Yellow markings.
  • 28% tarmac
  • Connection possible with Volnay and Tresson (available on our Perche Sarthois website).

Map and full route description available in the Perche Sarthois Hiking Guide (50 routes). On sale at Perche Sarthois tourist offices for €10.

Worth a visit

  • Saint-Médard Church (11th and16th centuries) and murals.
  • Château and mill at La Chesnaye (listed building, private).
  • La Vallée (traditional housing).

Other walks in the area

Walking The Sourice Valley

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The parish underwent a re-demarcation in 1836: certain farms such as La Bardouillère and houses in the village were part of Volnay. Since then, the south-eastern boundary has been formed by the Ruisseau la Sourice. Under the Ancien Régime, the parish seigneury was annexed to the Château du Coudray, which you will see to the right of the hill as you head towards La Bardouillère. The village still has traditional houses near the church; it has gradually expanded towards the crossing point over the Sourice, where the roads from Surfonds to Bouloire and from Le Breil to Volnay used to meet, later transformed inthe 19th century into the main road from Tuffé to Le Grand-Lucé.

Walking On the Via Turniacensis in Maisoncelles

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↔5.48 mi ↗+82 ft ↘-82 ft ◔2h 35 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Maisoncelles (Sarthe) (Sarthe)
The village of Maisoncelles, described as a ‘street village’, has developed linearly along the road linking Bouloire to Tresson and Écorpain, running perpendicular to the Ruisseau de l’Étangsort. Although difficult to date precisely, the imposing Church of Notre-Dame, possibly dating back to the Romanesque period, is undoubtedly the oldest building in the village. You can, however, see typical rural features from theThird Republic, such as the public pump at the foot of the church. Heading towards the cemetery, you will see on the right the old communal washhouse, recently converted to welcome walkers, and further up, a former school recognisable by its two-storey structure and brick window frames.

Walking The Etangsort Valley towards Tresson

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↔8.68 mi ↗+348 ft ↘-351 ft ◔4h 20 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Tresson (Sarthe)
The origins of the settlement of Tresson are very ancient, as evidenced by a dolmen situated not far from Les Basses Poches. Furthermore, the territory of Tresson is crossed by the Via Turniacensis, near which a large agricultural estate is recorded in 572. This villa was donated by Bishop Domnole to Saint-Vincent Abbey, which established a priory in Tresson. This combination of factors led to the development of the present-day village in the Étangsort valley.

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↔10.05 mi ↗+486 ft ↘-509 ft ◔5h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bouloire (Sarthe)
Bouloire is nestled in the heart of a vast, hilly agricultural region crossed by the Dué and Tortue rivers. Human presence along the ancient road between Le Mans and Orléans is attested to by a coin dating back to the Merovingian period. Its name comes either from a Celtic place name meaning "fortification" or from an etymology meaning "between two coasts ". The town centre is rich in ancient architectural heritage. The Church of Saint-Georges, destroyed by a fire that ravaged the village in 1680, bears the coat of arms of Marshal Guillaume Testu de Balincourt, who enabled its reconstruction. The town's coat of arms is also linked to this figure.

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↔7.19 mi ↗+174 ft ↘-174 ft ◔3h 25 ▲Moderate
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Walking Loudon ponds and woods

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↔2.56 mi ↗+177 ft ↘-171 ft ◔1h 20 ▲Easy
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À la découverte des bois et des étangs de Loudon
↔4.85 mi ↗+36 ft ↘-36 ft ◔2h 15 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Saint-Mars-la-Brière (Sarthe)
Parigné-Lévêque is a very large and wooded commune: northern pines with sand dunes, chestnut trees and birches in the south. The route allows you to discover the charm of numerous undergrowths, vast moors and ponds. The Narais stream is crossed in several places.

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↔6.33 mi ↗+331 ft ↘-331 ft ◔3h 10 ▲Moderate
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