Circular walk around La Motte du Bois

The car park is situated beside the D101 road, approximately 1.5 km before Brûlain when coming from Périgné: at this point, two grassy tracks lead off towards the north and north-east. When parking, please ensure you leave access to the fields and tracks for tractors and other agricultural machinery.

(S/E) Take the path on the right, the one furthest to the east. It is a shaded path that runs alongside the Pré Russeau area on the right-hand side. Further on, the path takes a right-angle bend to the left immediately next to a right-angle bend in the Route des Seigneuries. Shortly afterwards, the track forms an ‘S’ shape. In the first bend to the right, you will see an old masonry fountain (spring) just beside the track on your right. The track reaches a junction.

(1) Take the path on the right downhill and continue to the Route des Seigneuries, carrying on straight ahead along the path as it curves to the right. Turn right to follow this road and go round the farm at the hamlet of La Salle, where there are vicious dogs that bark loudly. As you go round the house, you’ll see a ‘small roof’ on the right-hand side of the road, with dovecotes and a pond. Continue along the road as it bends to the right and follow it until you reach a path on the left a short distance further on. Turn left and head eastwards until you reach a junction with a path on the left, at the crossing over an intermittent stream.

(2) Turn left onto the track that runs alongside the intermittent stream on your left. At the next T-junction, turn left. A little further on, cross Rue des Chaumes with care and continue straight ahead along a grassy, shaded track that skirts the village of Fayolle to the north-east. This sunken track may be flooded during periods of heavy rain. If this happens, climb up the embankment on the right and walk along the field beside the hedge until you reach a farm building. The path comes out onto Rue du Maréchal Ferrant. Cross it carefully and continue straight ahead into Rue des Ouches. Follow this road to the junction with Rue du Château in the hamlet of La Brissonerie. At this point, turn right and walk for about 50 metres.

(3) Turn left onto the path heading northwards on a gentle incline. Turn left onto the first path as you reach the plateau and shortly afterwards you’ll join the D304 road coming from Availle further north. Turn left and walk carefully alongside the road for a good hundred metres.

(4) Turn right onto a flat track leading towards the road from Availle to the Carrefour de la Croix Mataux. Cross this road carefully and continue straight ahead along a track. Shortly afterwards, the track turns sharply left. Continue straight ahead along the track heading north-west through the Fief Barin area. A little further on, ignore a track branching off to the right from Availle and continue along the track that turns left. Follow it until you reach the second track on the left.

(5) Turn left onto a path that climbs slightly before levelling out and leading towards the D104 road. When you reach it, turn left and follow it carefully for about 150 metres.

(6) Turn right onto a small road leading to the hamlet of Bouquétienne and pass through it.

(7) At the next crossroads, turn left and follow the Pièce du Milieu on your right. Go straight across the next four-way junction. After a bend to the right at almost a right angle, turn left onto the track which joins the D104 a short distance further on.

(8) Continue carefully along the D104 to the left before turning right onto a track that crosses the Fosse aux Prêtres area. Join the road leading from Brûlain to Fayolle.

(9) Follow the road carefully to the left for about 300 metres and turn right onto a shaded track heading south-east, then south through the Les Prés Chapeau area. The track joins the D101 road, at the side of which the car park is located (S/E).

This walk across varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

This unmarked route presents no real difficulties. It follows some marked sections. Consequently, it is advisable to follow the directions in this description and on the map provided by Visorando, whilst also paying attention to the surrounding landscape. Distance information from the starting point, and even the GPS coordinates of waypoints (including the start), can also help hikers find their way.

Hike completed by the author on 20 December 2020.

Brulain
Etymology derived from Romanised Celtic: Brulius; Brulenc in 1244, Brulent in 1258, Brullain in the 18th century.

Surrounded by the communes of Saint-Romans-des-Champs, Secondigné-sur-Belle and Saint-Médard, Brûlain is situated 18 km south-east of Niort, the nearest major town. At an altitude of 65 m, the River Courance is the main watercourse running through the village of Brûlain. The commune covers an area of 24.7 km²

In 1986, at La Chagnée de Brûlain, an archaeological survey carried out by Marie-Claude Lagarde on land surveyed by Mr Pierre revealed evidence of a settlement dating from the Late Neolithic period.
Remains from the Gallo-Roman period have been discovered on several occasions at a place known as Le Benchereau. The oldest published finds, dating from 1868, are tombs unearthed near the path leading from Brûlain to Les Fosses. Further remains were discovered during the 1970s by Messrs Jacques Jarry and Maurice Marsac.

The present church is dedicated to Saint Martin.

Baptiste Paul Grimaud, creator of Grimaud playing cards, was born in Brûlain on 6 May 1817.
Roger Baillon, who built up the famous collection of prestigious vintage cars sold at auction in 2015, was born in Brûlain on 9 March 1914.
Source: Wikipedia and the ‘Lavoirs des Deux-Sèvres’ website published by the department.

The Château de la Motte du Bois
Until the 18th century, the fief of La Mothe-du-Bois was known as La Mothe-Fayolle, named after a neighbouring village. The first lord mentioned was Jean Gourjault in 1432. At the end of the 16th century, Pierre Gourjault sold the estate to Aaron Mesmin, a councillor of Niort. In 1669, upon the marriage of Renée Mesmin to Alexandre de Blair, the property passed to the de Blairs, a family originally from Scotland. In 1748, Catherine Henriette de Blair brought it as a dowry to her husband, Pierre de Goulard d’Arsay (or d’Arçay), a member of a family that had held important offices in Poitou. Until a few years ago, La Mothe du Bois belonged to the de Brémond d’Ars family. Two monumental wrought-iron gates, originally from the Château de Vénérand and each with a pillar topped by a carved lion, lead onto a long forest-lined driveway providing access to the château. The present building replaced the former seigneurial residence in 1805. Its construction is attributed to Louis Jean de Goulard d’Arsay. It is a vast residence with a rectangular layout, flanked by two small square pavilions. The simple yet elegant façade is embellished with decorative features. A chapel was built in 1895 on the site of the former barn, to the west of the château. Its stained-glass windows are the work of the master glassmaker Lubin. The complex is situated in the heart of a vast wooded estate.
The Château de la Motte du Bois, 79230 Brulain, is privately owned and not open to the public.
Source: Châteaux de France website‘http://www.chateau-fort-manoir-chateau.e... ’ (excerpts).