A short circular loop from the Oyon to La Jumellière

Park in the car park at Place de la Mairie in La Jumellière. Follow the yellow markings.

(S/E) From the car park, head to the starting point sign in front of the town hall. Then turn right onto Rue du Cornet (D299), towards Chadefonds-sur-Layon. Cross Chemin de la Fontaine on the left.

(1) At the next junction, continue straight ahead (the road on the left will be the return route). Then take the^first right, towards the municipal workshop. At the Fork in the road a few metres further on, turn right. Before the building, take the small dirt track leading up to the left. Follow the field for a few hundred metres, then head down to the railway line.

(2) Go under the railway line through the small tunnel. Keep following the single path through this beautiful wooded area. Gradually descend towards the Oyon, then take the footbridge to cross it. Further on, you will see the Oratoire Notre-Dame d’Oyon. Walk to the main road.

(3) Once you reach the D199, turn almost right-hand round to take the path that starts with a hairpin bend running parallel to the previous one. The path winds through the woods again, crossing several footbridges until it meets a small tarmac road.

(4) Turn left, cross the Oyon bridge and continue straight on. Cross the railway line and you’ll reach the D299. Cross with care, then continue to the next junction.

(5) Leave the tarmac and take a small path on the left, beginning your return to the village centre as you walk past the houses. Cross Rue du Chemin Vert and take Rue des Blés d’Or until you reach the D299. Turn right and continue straight on to the car park at La Jumellière town hall (S/E).

The Oyon: You will cross the Oyon, a stream with three names: the Oyon, the Angevinière and the Contrie. The remarkably well-preserved Oyon Valley features notable habitats and is home to several interesting species of flora and fauna. Among them is the pygamon-leaved isopyre (a rare and protected species), which was known to exist in the Oyon Valley in 1898 and was rediscovered a century later in three locations.

The Oratory of Notre-Dame d’Oyon: A cave carved into the rocks houses a statue of the Crowned Virgin, restored in 1999. The area remains wild and rugged. It was here that the elderly Father Desmaux, having returned to La Jumellière, met his death in 1949 whilst burning grass and branches as he cleared the area around the oratory.

Saint-Pierre Church: Rebuilt from 1856 onwards on the site of the old church, it was extended on the east side, whilst a dispute arose between the parish priest, Father Davy, and the Count of Maillé, who wanted it built near his castle. The Count prevailed and the priest left the parish. The three-nave building is in the Gothic style. The bell tower on the east side is topped by a fleur-de-lis spire. Two stained-glass windows adorn the church: in one, Christ sends Saint Peter on a mission, and in the other, Saint Louis is depicted beneath the oak tree of Vincennes.