Soizé (Eure-et-Loir) walks

The "Terres Douces" countryside reveals a heritage full of charm: the former Priory of Les Châtaigniers and the Manoir de la Guillerie.

Like the neighbouring village of Gréez, the medieval development of Saint-Ulphace is linked to the settlement, between the Braye and the Saint-Ulphace stream, of a hermit monk in the6th century. The Hermitage of Saint-Ulphace led to the clearing of the surrounding land and the settlement of Christianised populations, followed by the establishment of the parish, first mentioned in 802.

A beautiful walk in the former fiefdom of the turbulent Gouet barons. Like Brou, La Bazoche continues a long tradition of fairs and markets. For over 100 years, the Percheron foal fair has been held on thefirst Saturday in November.

This route takes you along quiet country lanes, paths through the bocage and forest trails, and will introduce you to the Étangs de Boisvinet. You will also pass the glassworks, which operated until 1952 and was the subject of a book by Daphne du Maurier, *The Glass Blowers*.

This hike allows you to discover Montmirail, a "small town of character", and its green countryside through woods and sunken paths.

Situated on the eastern slopes of the Huisne, Courgenard, first mentioned at the end ofthe 9th century, was the seat in the Middle Ages of an important barony belonging to the chapter of canons of Le Mans Cathedral. The fine Romanesque architecture of Saint-Martin’s Church still bears witness today to the power of this barony, as does the remarkable16th-century decoration adorning the chancel. In the19th century, the village still lived off agriculture and the production of hemp cloth. Today, it forms part of the La Ferté-Bernard employment area.

The Étang des Panses lake can be seen along a path where it is not uncommon to encounter forest animals. After the forest, you will discover Percheron fruit trees at the Miermaigne conservation orchard; in mid-November, you can take part in the Apple Festival.

Taking beautiful sunken paths, over hill and dale, you will discover magnificent panoramic views of the Cétonais countryside and be amazed by its diversity: woods, meadows, hedgerows and cultivated fields.

From the Church of Notre-Dame (listed building), you can admire the traditional architecture of Vichères, built from red sandstone and white stone. This rural route, with its ups and downs, links Rougemont Hill (the highest point in Eure-et-Loir at 285 m) to the picturesque Berthe Valley via sunken paths.

Situated on a small hill overlooking the surrounding area, the village, which takes its nickname from the Échelles farm, the former seat of the parish seigneury, offers a well-preserved architectural and landscape setting, dominated by the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Built inthe 12th century, this church underwent embellishment work in the16th century: what remains is the painted panelled vault, resting—an extremely rare feature—on posts placed against the walls, and above all the remains of an extraordinary altarpiece in carved and painted limestone, dated 1558. The décor was redesigned in the18th century with the installation of three new altarpieces.

This route offers panoramic views of the Huisne valley on the outskirts of Nogent-le-Rotrou.

Through sunken lanes, hedgerows and woods, discover the landscapes of the Perche region as far as Ceton, the Jambette Valley and the Huisne Valley.

The village is characterised by the presence of the forest. This enabled its owner, the Marquis de Vibraye, to establish forges on the Braye river in Champrond in the early 17th century, where charcoal from the forest fuelled the furnaces producing pig iron and wrought iron until 1913. The trail partly follows the route taken by the convoys laden with heavy iron bars to the workshop in the hamlet of La Fenderie, on the pond of the same name. At La Bouverie, another vanished hamlet, eight houses provided accommodation for the forges’ carters, whilst charcoal burners and miners lived in makeshift huts. Now silent once more, the forest retains of this past activity only the network of paths. Part of it is now a Natura 2000 site.

A historical and heritage tour of the capital of the Perche region, following in the footsteps of Rotrou III, Count of the Perche, Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, and Rémy Belleau, poet of the Pléiade.

Rated as easy, this hike crosses the Vibraye Forest. To make it a circular route, allow about 3 hours and do not leave the marked trail, which is public. Unlike the forest, which is private, the route is marked with round signs 10 cm in diameter reminiscent of the work of the forge. You are in the Haut Maine region. In the Middle Ages, this region was home to a significant metallurgical industry, made possible by the presence of iron ore, extracted from flint clay and quartz sand, as well as the large quantities of wood needed for the forges. The forest was managed by cutting down coppice wood every 18 years to renew the resource. The dominant species is oak, but the forest also consists of aspens, birches, chestnuts and pines. This pleasant route describes a craft activity through the display boards scattered around the former mining sites.