Tour of the Grand Bois de Fontenilles

Park in the car park at the Fontenilles sports ground next to the Maison des Sports.

(S/E) Leave the car park and head towards the roundabout. Before reaching it, cross the Route de Lias (D37c) with care (there is no pedestrian crossing) to join the D65 and continue towards the hamlet of Les Arramous.

(1) Leave the D65 and turn right towards the Grand Bois equestrian centre (Saint-Hubert). Continue to the junction at the entrance to the equestrian club’s clubhouse.

(2) Turn right onto the dirt track that runs past the equestrian club’s riding arena and carry on straight ahead until you reach a tarmac road. As the track runs alongside the woodland, you might be lucky enough to spot some black pigs coming to forage for something other than acorns.
Turn left onto the road and carry on to the roundabout at the Fontenilles bypass.

(3) Do not go all the way to the roundabout; turn your back on it and turn left onto the Route de Pujaudran (D 37d), which runs through the middle of the Grand Bois.
A second chance to spot the wild boars, but this time feeding on acorns.

(4) The road takes a 90° bend and crosses both a municipal boundary and a departmental boundary; it becomes the D533, Route de Fontenilles. Turn right and continue to the next junction, following the D533 as it bends to the left.

(5) Go straight on at the junction and follow the Chemin des Bordes, whilst the Route de Fontenilles turns right to cross over the RN 124. Continue to the next junction with a memorial stone topped by a cross.

(6) Take the Chemin de Secouris opposite, whilst the Chemin des Bordes continues to the right.
Walk past the recently restored property with horses and continue to the crossroads with the beautiful wooden house on the corner.

(7) Turn left onto the Chemin de Grousset, which is a dead end. Follow the tarmac road as it bends to the left.

(8) The track is a dead end and the road stops at the last houses in the hamlet.
As the path opposite is closed to all, take the dirt track on the right which leads towards the Grand Bois.
Cross the woodland, passing between the buildings of the Écuries du Grand Bois.

(2) Head straight ahead to find the Chemin de Saint-Hubert, a tarmac road that ends at the D65, which leads towards Les Arramous.

(1) Leave Les Arramous behind you and turn left onto the D65, which ends in front of the start car park (S/E).

There are no accessible water points along the walk.
It is recommended that you wear a yellow high-visibility vest.

The central part of the Grand Bois is home to a farm raising ‘black pigs’, hence its nickname, the Bois des Cochons. The pigs can be seen at several points along the route.