(S) Starting point from Saint-Brice church. Prior to departing, walk down Rue de l’Eglise towards the Charente River and Saint-Brice castle. Turn back and return to the church.
Facing the church, walk up Rue de l’Eglise to your left and walk past Rue Jacques Delamain.
(1) Carry straight on to Rue des Tilleuls. Walk past the cemetery to your right then take Chemin du Chêne Vert on your right. Once you get to Route de Gardépée (D157)(2), go to your left. Before the logis de Gardépée (manor house) on the left (3), follow the little white path on the right and turn on to the 2nd path to the left (4).
Go straight on for 600m, go left on Chemin des Cotes (cote 36) and after 50m, left again on to Chemin de Belair. Follow this path for 1km until you ragain Route de Gardépée (D157). Turn right and then promptly left on to Route de Julienne (5).
Take the white path on the left going through the vines and at the bend (cote 23), turn left towards Châtre Abbey (6).
Walk past the abbey and onto the path leading away from it. Follow the forest trail until you reach the mountain bike track on the left. Take the little path on the left which leads deep into the forest. Follow that path until you get out of the forest on to Chemin de Gassouillis. Turn right (7) , cross Nercillac road (D15) taking the little white path opposite (Chemin de Chez Bernet).
At the crossroads (8), turn left. Follow that track until Route de la Soloire then turn right. Walk for around 1km until Rue du Port de l’Echassier which you will follow as well.
After passing the last house (9), turn left. Follow that path for 1km, cross the D15 (Route de Nercillac) very carefully and walk straight on to Chemin du Moulin.
(10) Take "allée Catherine de Médicis" to your right then promptly turn left before the great gate of Saint-Brice castle. Walk straight on to rue Jacques Delamain. At the end of the street, turn right returning to your starting point in front of the church.
Thanks to the natural beauty of its location and the richness of its heritage, Saint-Brice is one of the most picturesque areas of Cognac region. At the heart of the Charente and Soloire rivers valley, man has erected many symbolic buildings: dolmens, churches, abbeys, castles and manors, all expertly crafted.
Technical sheet
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Activity: Walking
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Distance: 10.67 km
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Calculated time: 3h 15
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Difficulty: Moderate
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Return to departure point: Yes
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Vertical gain: + 74 m
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Vertical drop: - 73 m
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Highest point: 54 m
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Lowest point: 8 m
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Country: France
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District: Saint-Brice (16100)
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Start/End: N 45.687445° / W 0.27746°
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IGN map(s): Ref. 1632SB
Description
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 19 m
- 1 : km 0.15 - alt. 26 m - Rue Jacques Delamain junction , straight on
- 2 : km 1.3 - alt. 49 m - D157: turn left
- 3 : km 1.87 - alt. 54 m - Logis de Gardépée: turn right
- 4 : km 2.15 - alt. 47 m - Second path, turn left
- 5 : km 3.81 - alt. 40 m - Route de Julienne, turn left
- 6 : km 4.97 - alt. 18 m - Old Châtres Abbey
- 7 : km 6.65 - alt. 38 m - Chez Bernet Path
- 8 : km 7.07 - alt. 20 m - Junction, turn left
- 9 : km 8.93 - alt. 9 m - Turn left
- 10 : km 10.15 - alt. 15 m - Take Allée Catherine de Médicis on the right - Charente (fleuve)
- S/E : km 10.67 - alt. 19 m
Practical information
Follow the yellow waymarks. Path also suitable for mountain bikes.
In the nearby area
(S) :Saint-Brice church (12th century)
(3) : Logis de Gardépée (Manor house), built in the 16th century and remodelled in the 19th century. Nearby, a little bit further down route de Gardépée (away from the hiking trail), a dolmen from the Neolithic era.
(6) : Old Châtres Abbey where only the 12th century church still stands as well as the remains of the convent buildings.
(10) :Saint-Brice castle where the tower and part of the bailey are all that remain from the 14th century castle. The manor house dates back to the 16th century but was remodelled in the 19th century.
Reviews and comments
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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.