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Val de Vray cultural centre car park.
(S/E) At the car park exit, turn left up Rue de l'Église for about 120 metres. Turn right into Rue des Surgetières and, after about 200 metres, turn right onto the small uphill path. Follow it to Impasse du Petit Prince.
(1) Turn left at the corner of the Maison de l'Enfance onto Rue de Saint Exupéry, then follow the greenway to the old station.
(2) At this perfectly restored small building, a series of totems provide information on the history of the Sarthe steam train and tram network.
Continuing on from the exhibition, turn right at the junction with Rue Harel de la Noë. Follow this road straight ahead, continuing along Rue Ouvrard de Lignière, before turning right onto a path leading to the church and its cemetery.
(3) Go down Rue de l'Église and turn right into Impasse du Plan d'Eau. As you enter Parc des Fontaines, note the old well next to a pond (off the route, there is another pond a little further on). Pass the sports fields and, at the foot of the railway embankment, continue to the right until you reach a tunnel.
(4) This structure allows you to pass under the railway line. At the end of the tunnel, continue left along the beautiful avenue of conifers leading to the communal pond, which you will follow on the left bank until you reach the second wooden footbridge.
(5) Leave the shore of the lake by crossing it, then turn right onto the path leading to Boulevard de Maule.
Cross at the roundabout and turn left onto Rue du Coutant.
(6) Turn left onto Rue des Châtaigniers. After about 150 metres, enter Parc de la Châtaigneraie, which opens up on the right. Cross it to reach Rue des Tilleuls and follow it to the left. At the next crossroads, go up Impasse du Four à Chanvre on the left, then, at the top of a high wall, turn left into Impasse des Chanoines, then right to reach the kiosk of the old Bollée wind turbine.
(7) Turn around and go down Impasse du Four à Chanvre to the crossroads. Take care. A short section of the path is on the road.
(8) Continue opposite Chemin du Petit Renaud (calvary and, a few metres further on, the hemp kiln). Continue and then turn right into Chemin du Moulin, which leads to Boulevard de Maule. Turn right and walk back up towards the village (footpath) for about 150 metres.
Cross the boulevard at the pedestrian crossing to reach the entrance to the Centre de l'Arche and, on the right, the path to the communal pond. Go around it on the left bank and, at the end, turn left to reach the conifer alley and the tunnel under the railway line taken earlier.
(4) Turn right and follow the path along the railway embankment and then the bank of the Ruisseau de l'Antonnière stream.
A sign at the rear of the buildings indicates the crossroads where various paths in Mont-de-Marsan meet.
Note the pretty road bridge crossing the stream before turning left to return to the car park where you started (S/E).
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