Saint-Denis-des-Coudrais walks

The former parish of Saint-Denis-des-Coudrais developed under the influence of the lords of Chéronne, who held the parish seigneury, until the Revolution. Under the Ancien Régime, the village fell under the jurisdiction of the Perche (right bank of the Chéronne) and the Maine (left bank of the Chéronne). Whilst the local economy was primarily agricultural, deposits of very high-quality white clay were exploited from an early stage to supply the nearby pottery workshops, notably those in Tuffé, Bonnétable and Prévelles. This activity ceased in themid-20th century with the closure of the last workshop in Prévelles in 1962. The place names bear witness to this history: Les Caves, la Fosse (now called Les Merisiers), and les Terres Blanches.

Tuffé-Val-de-la-Chéronne is a new commune formed in 2016 from the merger of the communes of Tuffé and Saint-Hilaire-le-Lierru. Inhabited since the Neolithic period, as evidenced by the Grandes Brières dolmen, Tuffé began to develop in the Early Middle Ages with the founding of an abbey around 650. From the Middle Ages to the Revolution, the monastery of Tuffé was also a large seigneurial estate bearing the title of barony; its power sparked emulation and, at times, rivalry with the neighbouring lay lords of Chéronne. At the end of the 19th century, the railway gave the village a new lease of life; it encouraged the establishment of an industrial estate on which the town’s current economic vitality still partly rests.

The route through the countryside around Tuffé takes us to the Château de Chéronne and the church of Saint-Denis-des-Coudrais. The Chéronne, which feeds the Tuffé lake, crosses and recrosses the sunken paths several times. This route is best enjoyed in good weather as the dirt tracks can be quite wet.

This route through valleys and bocage will allow you to explore the countryside around Boëssé le Sec. You’ll discover a beautiful avenue of pollarded trees.

Discover the fortified church of Saint-Georges-du-Rosay and explore the countryside criss-crossed by beautiful sunken paths. The presence of numerous springs means the route remains particularly damp all year round. Sturdy footwear is recommended.

The earliest evidence of human settlement in Saint-Célerin is linked to the discovery of ancient coins, including a Gallic stater (1st or2nd century BC) and a Carolingian hoard dating from around 833, the year the locality of Caliniaco (known in French as Chahanay) was first mentioned.

Set off to explore the hills and valleys of the Saint-Aubin countryside and its varied landscapes: woods, meadows and cultivated fields.

Spared by land consolidation, the commune of Bonnétable, best known for its medieval castle and deciduous forest, is much loved by walkers for its typical sunken paths and pleasant wooded countryside.

The village of Villaines, situated near the ancient Le Mans–Chartres road, developed in the Middle Ages around the church, on the hillside. You will appreciate its rural charm and the well-preserved architecture of the village houses and the old farmhouses scattered across the countryside. Their materials – terracotta for the tiles and bricks, limestone rubble and lime plaster coloured with local sand – blend beautifully with this scenic setting, offering fine views over the Huisne valley.

This walk follows the Huisne Valley and crosses the meadow where an American airfield was set up following the liberation of France in August 1944. A sign on site recounts the history of this temporary airfield.

A lovely walk around the village of Dehault, through which the Montreteau flows. A hilly route with some beautiful sunken lanes.

Over hill and dale, following the sunken paths and the Montretaux stream, discover the charming village of Dehault and its landscapes.

Known successively as Ecclesia de Torciaco, then Torcey and Notre Dame de Torcé, the former parish has been called Torcé-en-Vallée since 1926. The documents first mentioning it relate to the construction of the priory and the church. However, it is clear that Torcé’s history predates this, as evidenced by the megalith located at the western entrance to the village, known as the ‘Dolmen de Torcé’ or ‘Palet de Gargantua’. Human occupation may date back to the Middle Neolithic period.

The village of Duneau is located in a dominant position on the left bank of the Huisne, on a route that has been highly sought-after since prehistoric times. The Pierre Fiche menhir and the Pierre Couverte dolmen, dating from the Neolithic period (around 4000 BC), bear witness to this. These are the only visible archaeological remains among many others covering the periods of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

From Terrehault, follow the dirt tracks lined with pollarded trees to the village of Jauzé and its thousand-year-old yew tree.

Although local tradition places the first village at Bresteau, the Church of Saint-Martin, rebuilt by the monks of Saint-Vincent in the early 12th century, provides clear evidence of the antiquity of the village of Lombron. This beautiful church, open during the day, is well worth a visit both for the quality of its architecture (Romanesque choir and lantern tower, nave and chapels remodelled in the 14th and 15th centuries on their original foundations) and for its furnishings (16th-century statues including the Crucified Christ, the seigneurial bench of the Montmorency family, lords of Bresteau, terracotta bas-reliefs by Lebrun, circa 1760, 18th-century nave pews, etc.).

This rural village had a population of just over 1,000 in themid-19th century before seeing its population gradually decline due to rural depopulation until 1962, when it fell to 643 inhabitants. The closure of many small farms gradually freed up the least productive agricultural land for building. Thanks to a proactive policy by the local council and the presence of a construction company in the village, Le Luart experienced considerable suburban development, leading to a spectacular rise in its population, which reached 1,445 inhabitants in 2012. Since then, the population has tended to stabilise.

Discover this peaceful village, its countryside and its hedgerows by following its sunken lanes, which offer beautiful panoramic views of the Même valley and the hills of the Perche.