The oak trees of Murat

Start : At Gourdon, follow signs to the church to reach the hamlet of Murat. Pass through the hamlet as far as the fork in the road and park on a very small, well-shaded, grassy space on the right, near a cross.

(S/E) Go past the cross and follow the road to the right towards the Travers Mill, down into the valley of the Murat.

(1) Leave the road before it crosses the stream to enter the mill site on the left (admission is free). Cross the stream by a footbridge to reach the mill (restoration in progress in 2019). Retrace your steps for a few yards and note a sign "Four à pain" (bread oven) on the left. Follow the path which leads to a farm in course of renovation, noting a fine oak tree. Retrace your steps to the road.

(1) Go back uphill to the cross.

(S/E) Go a few yards (North) along the road to the left and then turn quickly left to take a turn round the church (A) and visit it with its bell gable. Inside, paintings from different periods are superimposed . Returning to the road, head left as far as the “Sully’s oak” (B) on the left-hand side of the road, level with the last house in the hamlet.

(2) Return through the hamlet by the road to the little car park. (S/E).

Start & parking : At Gourdon, follow signs to the church to reach the hamlet of Murat. Pass through the hamlet as far as the fork in the road and park on a very small, well-shaded, grassy space on the right, near a cross.

Photos : Find more photos by clicking here.

Walk translated by grahawi originally from the French author grandin.

(A)The church was of Romanesque construction, as is clear from the side door with its decorative ribbed arch, but it underwent alterations in the XVIIth century. The slope of the roof is typical of an old thatched roof, which has been replaced by fine flagstones.
The bell gable has three in-line arches and three bells, including an old one said to have been gifted by the Pompadour family. It is the only bell gable in the Bugeat district to have three arches, the others having only two.

(B) The “Sully’s oak” is said to have been planted around 1600. A Sully’s tree is a remarkable old lime, elm or oak supposedly dating back to the decision by Sully, Henry IV’s minister of highways, to have fine trees planted in French villages, in front of the entrance to the church or on the main square. Many “Sully’s limes” still exist in the towns and villages of France, though it is not always possible to establish a link with Sully’s initiative. This is also true of this oak, which is why it is referred to as the “so-called Sully’s oak”.