La Croix Cordeau (Sidiailles) - Mesples

Yellow and red GRP®markings In the footsteps of the Master Bell Ringers

(S) At the Croix Cordeau, cross the D997 and, at the foot of a cross, descend opposite and follow the Bois de la Roche to the Arnon.

(1) Cross it via a footbridge. Go up a path that runs alongside a row of beech trees and turns left. At Vervaux, take the road on the left for a few metres, then left again to go around a hamlet. Keep going in the same direction along a path that joins the La Roche Guillebaud road.
(2) Go up the La Roche Guillebaud road on the right. Turn right, then take the first path on the left to reach Barberanges. Continue along the stony path almost opposite. Keep going in the same direction, ignoring a path on the right, cross a road and head towards a small pond. Go up the D310 on the right and reach Saunier.

(3) Go down to the right until you reach the Arnon. Follow a road on the left, cross a bridge and continue.

(4) In a bend at a hamlet, go straight ahead onto a grassy path. At the road, turn right, then continue straight ahead on a path on the left. You will reach Les Trois Chênes.

(5) Cross a road and continue to a crossroads about 250 m further on. Turn left (south) and rejoin the D246 road before reaching Les Pruges; follow it to the right into the hamlet.

(6) Turn onto the first road on the left and 20 m further on, take a path on the right. At a crossroads, continue straight ahead to reach Fromenteau. Turn left alongside a house, then turn right. The sunken path soon climbs back up to the road to Treux. Turn right and cross the hamlet.

(7) Take a path on the left. At Le Couret, it crosses a road; continue straight ahead to descend to the Moulin de la Vie site. Cross the Arnon and climb up to Pierrefitte.

(8) Turn left, cross the D112 and take the path opposite which climbs up to Mesples. Continue to the Place de l'Église (E).

Accommodation: Sidiailles, Saint-Éloy-d'Allier, Mesples.
Provisions: Mesples.
Water points: Saint-Éloy-d'Allier, Mesples.
Remarks: you can reach the village of Saint-Éloy-d'Allier and the guest rooms and lodges via this road.
On the left, you can explore the ruins of the Château de la Roche (1 km, 15 mins, yellow signposts). This is located on the detour via Lake Sidiailles

Saint-Éloy-d'Allier: "There I saw for the first time a tree with white bark and magnificent foliage, which does not grow in our region and is called a beech. I believe it is the king of trees after the oak, and although it is less beautiful, one could almost say that it is prettier. " Les Maîtres
Sonneurs, George Sand.
Saint Éloy d'Allier is one of the smallest communes in the Allier department, and the Maîtres Sonneurs trail runs along its southern border. Part
of the Sidiailles dam (Cher) is located within the commune. The dam was built in 1976 to supply water to
originally 27 communes, now nearly 60 in the Cher and Allier departments. The reservoir is 15 metres deep in places. Taking the road to the place known as "La Madeleine", you will find a green stele and a bronze plaque fixed to the ground. This marks
the virtual entrance to the Méridienne Verte in the department of Allier.

Church: Built in 1896. Cruciform in plan, it has two bays, a slightly protruding transept, a semi-circular apse and a small square bell tower surmounted by an octagonal spire. Several polychrome wooden statues are preserved, including a Virgin carrying the naked Child, which is rather rare. The church, dedicated to Saint Didier, is also known as Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur, reflecting its two identities.

The Château de la Roche Guillebaud stands in romantic ruins on the border of the Allier department. The keep is now surrounded by water since the creation of the Sidiailles lake in the Cher department. Life in this castle is austere and grim. Covering an area of 6,600 m², it is fortified on top of a rock but paradoxically at the bottom of a ravine. As a result, it is not in an offensive position but a defensive one, and its construction is adapted to siege techniques. Several successive obstacles therefore present themselves to attackers, with no possible retreat. Attacking this tiny castle required considerable logistics and was very costly in terms of men and equipment. The fortress was still inhabited in 1482. It was only abandoned after the Wars of Religion in 1618 and stripped of everything: doors, windows, interior fittings, etc. By 1780, only the walls remained. An underground passage leads from a dark natural cavity towards Boussac. At the bottom of the castle there was a mill, and tradition has it that there were seven chapels around La Roche Guillebaud. George Sand was not indifferent to the sombre beauty of these ruins, which she described in 1837 in "Mauprat".

Mesples: A pleasant little village in the heart of a hilly and green region. " Mesples, a parish neighbouring the forest where we were to findJoseph. We only passed through the village, where Huriel was accosted by many people who seemed to hold him in high esteem, and by young people who followed him with their eyes and were surprised by the company he kept," Les Maîtres Sonneurs, George Sand.

St Pardoux Church: dating from the Romanesque period but has undergone several renovations. On the right as you enter the nave is a 17th-century monolithic baptismal font. The 19th-century pulpit is notable for its small size, with only three steps. The stained-glass windows were installed during the renovation work in 1897. One of them depicts Saint Pardoux blessing a child, Saint Bruno and the Carthusians.

Laloeuf Castle