A rural walk around Bessay, a small village in southern Vendée

Parking: car park and starting point below the church, near a beautiful washhouse.
Yellow markings.

(S/E) Walk up Rue de l’Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, go round the church and continue to the main street of the village of Bessay. Turn left onto Rue Principale and walk to the town hall.
Opposite the town hall, turn right onto the small road. After 100 m, looking to the right, you’ll see Bessay Castle and its beautiful Renaissance tower. Continue to the fork in the road.

(1) Turn left and follow a grassy path bordered on the left by a hedge and on the right by a field. You’ll come to a road.

(2) : Turn left onto this road. Cross the D7, then follow a land consolidation track straight ahead until you reach the busier D88 at a place called La Croix Gâté. Cross it carefully and follow a small, sloping road straight ahead through large fields without hedges. You’ll come to a crossroads just before the hamlet of Châtelard.

(3) Turn left and follow a footpath to a small road running alongside the River Smagne. Continue in this direction. At the junction, take the road on the right. Continue to follow the river to the village of Mainclaye. Cross the D7 again.

(4) Just after crossing, on the right, you’ll come across a historic site from the Wars of the Vendée: the ruins of the Mainclaye bridge (commemorative plaque). Continue on your way until you reach a crossroads. Carry on for about 200 m.

(5) Turn right onto a small road leading downhill and follow the very pleasant Chemin de la Smagne, which runs alongside the river. You’ll arrive at Le Coteau, where you can admire the magnificent manor house on your right.

(6) Carry on straight ahead along a small road leading downhill; ignore the road on the left which leads back to Bessay, and you’ll reach a junction.

(7) At the bottom of the descent, turn left then right towards the football ground. Climb a steep hill and turn left to walk alongside the ground behind one of the goals.

(8) Turn left to cross the hedge (note that the ‘turn left’ sign may be obscured by vegetation). Follow the path to the D88, turn right and follow the road for 100 m.

(9) Then turn left onto the first path until you reach another path crossing it.

(10) There are two options at this T-junction:
- take a shortcut by turning left then right to rejoin the route shown here.
- Alternatively, turn right and follow the yellow arrows through the Bois de Bessay. In the middle of the woods, the path turns sharply left, heading due north. Leave the woods and follow the path bordered on the left by a hedge and on the right by a field. At the first junction, turn left onto the road until you reach a crossroads (marker 37).

(11) Turn left onto the path running through the middle of the fields.

(12) Still following the yellow signposts, leave the land consolidation track and turn right onto a grassy, uphill path. At the next junction, turn left; you will see Bessay Castle again. When you reach a small road, turn right and then, a little further on (marker 46), turn left onto the road and continue to the fork you passed on the way out.

(1) Turn slightly left and reach the village of Bessay by following the route in the opposite direction to the outward journey, returning to the cemetery car park (DA).
Take some time to explore the village and visit the beautifully restored wash house.

Shelter is available at the washhouse or the sports ground.
In wet weather, sturdy footwear is essential, particularly in the woods or on grassy paths.

Bessay Castle: a listed historic monument and private residence open to the public (see online information). It comprises two Renaissance towers linked by a main building dating from the 17th century. It features a large dovecote, extensive grounds with ancient trees and flowerbeds.
The river: The 50 km-long Smagne flows into the River Lay and has numerous meanders. Two mills can be seen along the walk.
The Mainclaye Bridge: a commemorative plaque recounts a bloody episode from the Wars of the Vendée (the Third Battle of Luçon on 14 August 1793).
Nearby, in the church at Dissay, there is a memorial to the three Battles of Luçon and the fortified camp at Le Châtelard. There is a route that traces this episode of the Wars of the Vendée.