Circuit around Combret-sur-Rance

Description

Start : Village square of Combret 12370 (A) (GPS co-ordinates: N 43°50' 32 E 2° 40' 23).
Waymark : Yellow markings are present all along the route.

(D/A) Leave the square by the Rue de la Clede, going down to the left of the Auberge de La Tour (350 m or so).

(1) Follow the road D91 on the left for about a hundred metres, which overhangs the river Rance.

(2) Just before the bridge, turn left on a path and continue North-East until the fork.

(3) Turn left (South-West) on the hairpin bend. The path climbs and allows you to reach a road at the top of the village, the Church Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the cemetery. You can see the remains of terraced cultivation, supported by stone walls called "paredous".

(4) Turn right on the tarmacked road and follow it for 500 m.

(5) At the fork with a path, take the small path on the left (North).

(6) On reaching the house, make a return journey to the left to admire the three Jubilee Crosses. And a very nice view on the village of Combret. Retrace your steps. Then, as you come back to the junction, go to the left on the path which, after having crossed a small brook, climbs towards the church of Sainte-Léonce de Haut-Villar (ruins) (B). Next to it, you will find the statue-menhir of Sainte-Léonce.''

(7) Continue to the right on a wide track which rises and offers you an admirable panorama.

(8) After 570 m, take the track on the left and admire the magnificent view: in the distance the Monts de Lacaune (windmills) and the Rock and the Virgin Mary statue of Roquecézières culminating at 891 m. Carry on the path for 2 Km, ignoring paths coming from left and right until you reach a road.

(9) Cross the road and go straight ahead, ignoring the place called Layrolle on the left, and follow the path in a general Westerly direction.

(10) At the crossroads, go straight ahead and descend towards the Terraignes farm, whose name comes from "terre de feu" (land of fire) certainly due to its red colour. We are in the "Rougier de Camarès".

(11) From Terraignes, a round trip by a solid concrete footbridge over the Rance (the other footbridge, below Saint-Maurice, has been washed away by a flood. Will it be rebuilt...?) allows you to reach Notre-Dame d'Orient (C) (visit strongly advised). Retrace your steps. Then as you come back to the junction, continue to the right (East-North-east) on the small road to the hamlet of Ran, passing by the Château du Grès.

(12) After 1.5 Km, just before the hamlet of Ran, turn right (South) and descend to the level of the Rance to cross it on a very nice bridge.

(13) Just before a small bridge over the Ruisseau de Luzerp (stream), go straight ahead (South) on the small path (you stay on the left side of the stream).

(14) Reach the D91 road that you cross to take the path opposite. By a wood of pubescent oaks, to reach a ridge after 1 Km.

(15) Cross the wide track and continue, slightly to the left (East-North-East), on a small path. Through a chestnut grove and following a very old path lined with low walls, go down to Combret. Very nice views of the village built on a ridge.

(16) Take the D91 on the right (North-East) for 360 m.

(17) Cross the bridge over the Rance (cross on the bridge) and go up into the village. A visit to this beautiful village is well worth it to end this hike. After having visited the "Jardin des Pierres", take a very beautiful calade (cobbled street) going up to arrive at the car park.(D/A).