Carmausin dovecotes in the Pays de Cocagne

Park in the car park of the Maison des Jeunes de la Commune (MJC), Route de la Pélégrinié, in Labastide Haute, a hamlet attached to Labastide-Gabausse.

Yellow markings

(S/E) Leave the car park behind you on the right and head towards the centre of the hamlet via Route de Labastide Haute. After about 300 m, on the right-hand side, you will see the first square-towered dovecote, incorporated into a large manor house.

(1) Continue walking until you reach the central square. Keep to the left to go down Chemin de la Bastide, then Chemin du Belvédère to the orientation table.

(2) Join the Route de la Zère via a few steps set into the narrow path, carved out to the right of the orientation table. Further down, cross the road and continue the descent south-eastwards. Walk along a clearing, cross the Zère and come to a wide gravel track. Keep straight ahead. The descent turns into an ascent just before the turn-off for Le Peyrou.

(3) Take the Chemin de Peyrou on the right and join the Route de Labastide Basse. Turn left and continue, keeping to the right at the bend in the road, until you reach the three-way junction at Briès.

(4) Head towards the Briès farm to discover a square dovecote with a slate roof on your right.

(5) Retrace your steps.

(4) Turn right onto Chemin de Lafon, then right again in front of the farm of the same name. At the far end of the Lafon meadow, you will see a dovecote known as a ‘mule’s foot’ dovecote. Continue along the tarmac track, which includes a short dirt section at the northernmost bend, until you reach the imposing Vaysse dovecote.

(6) Pass La Vaysse. Cross Chemin de la Durantié and head towards the two dovecotes at La Borie farm. Both are located within the farm’s grounds. The square one faces the crossroads and the cylindrical one can be seen a little to the left.

(7) After exploring the area, stay on the Chemin de la Borie and look for the Chemin du Cluzel on your left, about 150 m away, before a cluster of houses. Turn sharply onto this dirt track, which becomes tarmac in front of the large Cluzel house. Further on, a beautiful stone cazelle stands at the corner of the Route de la Garriguié.

(8) First turn right then left, pass in front of La Vente along a pretty path, and find yourself to the left of La Garriguié. First turn left then right. The path descends gently and rejoins the tarmac at Chemin de la Durantié. Cross this road twice. At the next road, first turn right then left to find the modest Lavoir Laboulbène.

(9) Take the path that starts to the left of the wash house. At the tarmac road, take a detour to the right to find a square dovecote in the Gaillac style. To do this, go past the cemetery, then the town hall and the houses of Labastide-Gabausse.

(10) Retrace your steps back to the path and turn right. You’ll come out onto the Chemin de Sainte-Marthe; follow it to the left. Cross the Zère. Look out for the Sainte-Marthe wash house, just past the bend in the road.

(11) Leave the path in front of the wash house. Climb up to the Route de la Zère. Head back up towards the orientation table.

(2) Retrace your steps along the outbound route to return to the MJC car park (S/E).

All the dovecotes on this route are located on private estates.
They are only visible from the outside and, often, from the street.

(2) If the path from the orientation table is impassable for various reasons, continue along the Chemin du Belvédère, then turn onto the Route de la Zère. You will find the continuation of the descent on your left.

The route features numerous significant ascents and descents.
The author has walked it many times, most recently on 28 May 2023.

Some types of dovecotes in Midi-Pyrénées.
The Pigeon Loft Route in the Tarn.