Huguenot Trails around the Lambon near Beaussais

(S/E) Leave the car park by taking the D10 road towards Saint-Maixent. Cross a bridge. Continue straight ahead, and at the right-hand bend in the D10, turn left onto Rue des Gasses. At the start of the climb, turn left into Rue du Fer à cheval. The street curves to the right once.

Further on, at the second right-hand bend, take the path opposite heading north. As you climb, you will notice a family cemetery with two graves. This is a true marker of this land where Protestants were no longer allowed to bury their dead in the communal cemeteries. A little further on, turn right and then right again when you reach the road.

(1) At the crossroads, turn left. Shortly afterwards, take the path on the left, heading north. Pass under a high-voltage power line and reach a crossroads.

(2) Cross over and continue straight ahead. Look out for a stone characteristic of the Huguenot Trail at the junction. At the next Y-junction, take the farm track on the right. Further on, continue straight along the path which descends into the valley where the Lambon flows.

(3) Cross the river via a stone mule bridge. The mules used to fordo the Lambon whilst the drivers crossed via the bridge. The path now climbs through the undergrowth. On the left, you can make out the remains of a cave: the locals call it the “Parabas” Cave, following a legend linked to the famous king of thieves known as “Barabas”. A bandit who robbed travellers used to hide there.

Further up, as you climb towards Vilfas, you’ll notice the hamlet’s wash house on the right. It consists of the three classic elements: the spring, a pond where animals came to drink, and the wash house. Water is essential for self-sufficient living. Continuing on, the path leads to the family cemetery of Vilfas. You can see the symbols used by Protestants to decorate their graves. The absence of crosses is significant. They are replaced by hearts, pansies, ivy, and so on.

Continue along the path that runs below the hamlet of Vilfas. The path joins a junction at the end of the road leading to the hamlet of Vilfas. Take the path opposite, and continue to the next junction, a reverse ‘Y’ junction, below the hamlet of La Berlière. Turn left (sharp bend).

(4) At the next crossroads, turn right onto the path towards the hamlet of Maupertuis.
When you reach the road, turn left and then right at the next junction in front of the entrance to Maupertuis.

(5) Turn left onto the farm track heading south-west. When you reach the hamlet of La Perjaudière, continue straight along the track until you reach the road serving the hamlet. Turn right to join the Route de La Couarde towards La Bouctière.

(6) Turn left and, fifty metres further on, left again onto a track. Continue straight ahead. The track bends to the right a little further on. Stay on the main track and continue straight ahead until you reach a road (a track on the left immediately after the bend is impassable).

When you reach the road, turn left, head down towards the bottom of the valley and cross the Lambon a little further on. As you climb up the other side of the valley, leave the access road to Moulin de Faugeré on your left (shortly afterwards, a path on the right is impassable). Continue along the road to the top of the hill.

(7) Opposite the road leading to Faugeré, take the path at the corner of a property that heads south-west. At the next T-junction, take the left-hand path that winds through the pastures. Continue to the road leading from Crouzon to Beaussais. Turn left (east). At the next crossroads, continue along the road on the right for about 100 metres.

(8) Before passing under the high-voltage power line, turn left onto a flat path.

(2) At the junction (which you took at the start of the walk), turn right onto a grassy path. At the end of the path, turn right and return to the road junction you passed on the way out.

(1) Take Rue des Gasses on the left, which is a steep descent. It leads onto the D10, which you should take with great care on the right. After crossing the small bridge, the route returns to the car park, marking the end of this walk (S/E).

The car park is located near the junction of the D737 (Melle – La Mothe-Saint-Héray) and D10 (Beaussais – Saint-Maixent) roads, opposite the Temple (former church) on the left-hand side of the road when coming from Melle.

This walk across very varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

The route is partially signposted as it largely follows the Sentier des Huguenots (a 5.7km walk) – marked with yellow^PR®-style signposts – approved by the Deux-Sèvres Departmental Committee for Hiking. Consequently, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, whilst also observing the landscape.

Hike completed by the author on 17 and 19 September 2017.

The Lambon

The Lambon is a second-class watercourse that rises in La Couarde, in the Deux-Sèvres, and flows into the Sèvre Niortaise at Niort. It crosses the Étang du Lambon between Prailles and Vitré and runs right alongside Châteauneuf de Vitré.
It is 40.8 km long and has a catchment area of 108 km².

Protestant family cemeteries

Beaussais

The Protestant Church, housed in a former 12th-century Romanesque church.
The House of Protestantism
Château la Boulaye in Beaussais-Vitré - 79370 - 15th century - It is a manor house.