Sentier des Grippes in Chauvigny

Start at the car park of the Peuron sports complex.

(S/E) Walk alongside the Espace d’Accueil Sportif / USC Foot building towards the dojo. At the corner of the USC Foot building, turn left onto a gravel area. Head towards the white bench at the edge of the woods at the far end of this gravel area, and take the path that branches off to the right, running alongside the dojo and then past the volleyball courts on the left. N.B. From here on, most of the paths are not marked on the map. At the junction, carry straight on, then ignore the first path on the right.

(1) Take the second path on the right which leads into the woods. Head downhill (caution: the slope is quite steep).
At the bottom, turn left, following the D951. Just before reaching the D8, turn right onto the grassy dirt track which runs alongside the road at a distance and passes under the D951 bridge.

(2) After passing under the bridge, turn right to follow the D951 again until you reach the edge of the woods.
Take the path on the left and carry on straight ahead.

(3) At the Fork in the road by the old lime kiln, take the left-hand branch and carry on straight on until you reach the hamlet of La Rivière au Chiray.

(4) Then turn right onto the tarmac road. It becomes a dirt track as it climbs into the woods.
Walk alongside an industrial estate on your right.

(5) At the junction, carry on straight ahead.

(6) At the next junction, carry on straight ahead again. Cross the D2 and continue straight on (towards the Carrières de la Vienne).

(7) At the junction, go straight on. At the information sign for the Bois de la Loge, turn left.

(8) Take the first path on the left (please note: these paths are not shown on the map). Head south until you reach a car park. Follow the path that runs alongside the car park and goes round it on the right. Then turn right and continue along the Bois de la Loge route. After passing the covered rest area, turn left after a guardhouse, onto a forest path. Follow this path, ignoring the path leading back to the car park.
The path joins a forest road: turn right and carry on straight ahead (east) until you reach the crossroads.

(8) Turn left and, after a few dozen metres, turn right.

(7) Turn left onto the white dirt track. Once at the Grippes quarry, turn right between the hedges. At the end of the track, turn right to cross the D2. Take the gravel track which branches off to the right and then immediately curves to the left.

(6) At the junction, turn left (east).

(5) Take the first path on the left, which leads into the forest. Once you reach the foot of the D951, continue to the left, then take the underpass on the right. Carry on to the right, then immediately to the left. Walk alongside a disused quarry.

(9) Once back in the built-up area of Le Peuron, cross the road and turn right into Rue du Peuron, along the promenade. Carry on straight ahead along the dirt track that crosses the green space. At the end of the dirt track, turn left into Rue du Peuron, and carry on straight ahead to the starting point (S/E).

No specific signposting.

This route can be completed in several ways:
- At (3), you can turn right at the Y-junction to climb straight to the top of the hill. The path rejoins the route just before (5).
- On the first pass through (5), turn straight into the Bois de La Tremblaye to avoid the return trip to the quarry and the Bois de la Loge, reducing the route’s distance to 4.2 km.
- At (4), bypassing the Bois de la Loge by turning straight towards the quarry reduces the distance covered to 6.5 km.
- The Bois de la Loge has two routes: the main route, which is 730 m long, and the hikers’ route, which is 1,100 m long. The route suggested here combines the two.

- The châteaux of Chauvigny
- Other walks in Chauvigny