Legends Trail in Argillières

de fr

Argillières is a small village steeped in legend... Its castle is said to have been home in the 18th century to the famous bandit Mandrin, a hero to the people but a thief whom the authorities were determined to bring down at any cost. Concealed by a high wall, this castle, built in the 17th and 18th centuries, is now mainly occupied during the summer months.

Details

n°205709
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.41 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 410 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 407 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,053 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 850 ft
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Photos

Argillières

Description of the walk

Parking in front of the town hall.

(S/E) Take the Route Départementale 17 towards the villages of Gilley and Farincourt.

(1) On leaving the village, level with the last recently built detached house, take a stony path on your left and continue until you enter the forest. Follow the path through the woods for a good while. To avoid getting lost, always follow the red and yellowGRP® markings.

(2) Near this point, on your left as you leave the path, you will notice a "Druid’s Altar"
Return to the marked path and continue along the hillside until you reach a junction.

(3) Take the sharp right-hand bend. Immediately on your left, stepping slightly off the path, you will find the “Witch’s Trough” (a monumental trough 3m long x 1m wide x 1m high which, according to legend, was shattered by a witch with a single blow of a hammer).
Follow the marked path at a leisurely pace until you reach another junction.

(4) Turn right, then left, and head up a very steep slope (in wet weather, wear sturdy footwear to avoid slipping).
Further on, as you leave the path, you will see a gravestone on your right.

(5) Continue straight on along the route until you reach a tarmac road.

(6) Leave the marked trail, turn left and follow this road for about 4.5 km to reach the Croix de la Matrelle crossroads.

(7) Turn left to reach the village and the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 997 ft - Town Hall Square
  2. 1 : mi 0.15 - alt. 1,001 ft - Leaving the village, take the path on the left
  3. 2 : mi 1.03 - alt. 932 ft - Altar of the Druids
  4. 3 : mi 1.96 - alt. 938 ft - At the junction, take the sharp right-hand bend
  5. 4 : mi 2.55 - alt. 915 ft - At the junction, turn right
  6. 5 : mi 2.81 - alt. 1,050 ft - Gravestone
  7. 6 : mi 3.23 - alt. 945 ft - On the left, the return route
  8. 7 : mi 5 - alt. 1,010 ft - Croix de la Matrelle, turn left
  9. S/E : mi 5.41 - alt. 997 ft - Town Hall Square

Worth a visit

Another somewhat mysterious spot is located on the outskirts of Argillières, heading towards Fouvent. Hidden amongst the scrub, you’ll find the “Pas du cheval de Saint-Martin”. This hoofprint is said to have become embedded in the rock. Saint Martin has, in fact, become the patron saint of Argillières.
His statue can be found in the 18th-century church. The church also houses tombstones.

Of particular note is the church’s original bell tower, clad in blue glazed tiles.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
3.4 / 5
randonneur 70
randonneur 70
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, half on a trail through the woods, half on a small road.
The clearing at the witches' trough has been done, but the gravestone isn't marked... which is a shame because we couldn't find it.
To be done.

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Griffon+Colombier
Griffon+Colombier

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The signposting was excellent.
The points of interest were less so:
- ‘the witches’ trough’ was inaccessible because the vegetation was so dense.
- The gravestone wasn’t signposted, so we missed it.
Otherwise, a very pleasant walk!

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grandjonc
grandjonc

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The path is in good condition and remains passable even after rain – very clear signposting

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cdroxler
cdroxler

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

a description that clearly indicates the difficulty of the route.

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Hilde Pien
Hilde Pien

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The start of the walk wasn't very clearly marked.
We missed the points of interest...
A lovely walk in the forest.

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FURETTE1959
FURETTE1959

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A lovely walk in the woods, which was pleasant in the sweltering heat, though the points of interest were impossible to find without a satnav. It’s a shame, as that was the whole point of the trip.

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miphil
miphil

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 21, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk in a beautiful forest, even before the leaves had come out. One slight regret: the points of interest aren’t easy to spot on the map, and we missed them.

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