The three valleys from François

Park in the small car park on Place de l'Église at the exit of François in the direction of Cherveux (old wash house).

(S/E) Carefully take the D142 towards the Sèvre Niortaise. Cross two bridges (the Chambon flows into the Sèvre Niortaise here) then turn right onto a small road. A little further on, continue to the left.

(1) Take the path on the left and arrive at the Villaine bridge to cross the Chambon. Continue to a crossroads.

(2) Turn left onto a path lined with fenced meadows, then turn right and climb towards the village of Le Breuil. At the road, turn left and continue for a few metres.

(3) Turn right onto Rue des Écoles, then right again opposite the town hall. Walk past the village hall. At the end of the street, take the path on the left that passes between two walls (Sentier des Noyers) and continue along the street to the right. Turn left, then right, following the edge of the D142 near the water tower. Cross carefully andcontinue straight ahead on a path that runs alongside the road to the village of Bonneuil.

(4) Turn left onto Route de l'Huilerie and continue carefullydownhill into the hamlet of L'Huilerie.

(5) Turn right after the last building to quickly reach the Sentier des Acacias. A wash house can be seen as you continue along the road to Musson before taking the path (about 300 m round trip).
When you reach the D7, take it carefully to the left for about 100 m. Cross the bridge over the Musson. Notice a second wash house on the left after the bridge.

(6) Take the small road on the right that runs alongside the Musson. Continue to the hamlet of L'Étang.

(7) Leave the road that crosses the Musson and continue left towards the path that climbs towards the agricultural plateau. At the top, ignore the path that branches off to the right and stay on the marked Trois Vallées route (signpost). Continue until you reach the D7.

(8) Carefully cross the D7 and take the grassy path opposite. Negotiate a right-hand bend (view of the Château de Cherveux) then a left-hand bend and continue along the long straight stretch that runs alongside a hedge until you reach the tarmac road. Take this road to the left.

(9) Turn onto the path on the right and continue along a long straight stretch through fields, which later runs alongside dry stone walls. Then, after a right-hand bend, the path descends into the valley and runs alongside the Musson.

(10) On the left, cross the bridge and climb up to the Prieuré d'Availles. At the top, join the road and follow it to the left until you reach the next crossroads (viewpoint over the plain).

(11) Turn right onto the small road that descends towards the plain called Prairie de François, which is marshy in wet weather. (Note the Château de Vandelaigne in the distance on the left). Continue along the path to the right, following the Sèvre Niortaise.

(12) Cross the river via a wooden footbridge. Ignore the path that branches off to the right and continue straight ahead after two left-right bends. A little further on, continue to the left, following the motorway. Do not take the paths that pass under it. Join a small road and continue to the left for about 50 metres.

(13) Cross carefully and turn right onto the small path.
N.B. You can take a shortcut by continuing straight ahead on the road to reach the starting point (S/E). Continue along this path, which winds through the meadows at the bottom of a valley, then climbs to the left. On the plateau, take another path to the right and walk to the road.

(14) Turn left onto the path separated from the road by a hedge of shrubs. At the end, pass under a green archway to cross a street and continue straight ahead on the pavement of Route de Niort (you can also go straight ahead on Route de Niort, descending directly towards the crossroads). Keep to the left. Then turn left onto Chemin de Bel-Air and a little further on, turn right onto Chemin de Bois Joubert to reach the crossroads on the right and Place de l'Église (S/E).

• (

Bring good walking shoes, drinks and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions (the wind can be strong on the plateau).

Route map published by the Deux-Sèvres department, marked in yellow.

- The François wash house, built in 1893, has been recently restored. (S/E)
- The Villaine bridge, with several arches, is a dam bridge over the Chambon river. On the upstream side, it has stone grooves that were used to hold wooden "shovels" in place to dam the river and fill the ditches in the meadows with water in order to obtain high-quality grass. You can take a break on a bench in the shade of a willow tree.
- Beautiful stone houses in the village of Breuil. (3)
- Two more wash houses at the Bonneuil oil mill. (5) and (6)
- The Priory of Availles, shortly after the point (10), run by monks of the Order of Saint Augustine, was founded in the 14th century.
- The Château de Vandelaigne (in the distance on the left in François' meadow after the point (11)), a 15th-century building, remodelled and completed with a terrace wing in the 19th century.
- The Fief dovecote, located on the right about 500 m from the church on the road to Ruffigny - La Crèche.
- Cherveux Castle, whose roofs can be seen shortly after the point (8).