Circular route to the east of Bengy-sur-Craon

Park in the church square in Bengy-sur-Craon.

(S/E) Walk south towards Cornusse along the D102. After about 2 km, you’ll reach a Y-junction.

(1) Leave the D102 and turn left, towards Saligny-le-Mort, onto the tarmac path that runs alongside military land (do not enter the military land). Then turn left to cross through Saligny-le-Mort. Walk slightly downhill through the woodland until you reach a small pond.

(2) Turn 90° to the right (behind a tree), continue downhill and reach the edge of a woodland.

(3) Enter the woodland and continue until you reach the D10E.

(4) Turn left onto it, then quickly turn right onto the tarmac road and head towards the houses at Cul-de-Sac.

(5) Cross the road and head straight ahead, continuing until you reach the railway level crossing.

(6) Cross the tracks with great care; see the ‘Practical Information’ section below. Carry on to the Bourges–Nevers road, the D976.

(7) Turn left onto it and walk for about a hundred metres along the hard shoulder. Take great care as this is a very busy road. Take great care when crossing, then continue straight ahead to reach Les Loges d’en bas. At the corner of house no. 5, turn left onto the path that climbs between the house and the metal shed. This leads onto the road serving Les Loges d’en haut.

(8) Turn left onto this road to head back towards the village of Bengy. At the Stop sign, cross the road, turn right and follow the pavement, which then turns left, to return to the church car park (S/E) after crossing another level crossing – again, take great care here.

There are no signposts along this route. IGN map 2424 East.
Important note: Avoid this route on hunting days. The local path is always open to the public but there is a risk of conflict with hunters on private hunting grounds.
At (3), the passage is tricky, if not almost impossible, in winter or in wet weather.
(6) Level crossing: take extreme care as trains travel at around 140 km/h here; ensure you wait for the barriers to close.
In conclusion: a walk best undertaken in dry weather and outside the hunting season.
The walk can easily be completed in two hours or less, excluding breaks.

(8) Bourges Cathedral in the distance
With a bit of luck, you might spot a roe deer, a species quite common in this region.