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The starting (and finishing) point of the walk is in the car park of the village hall and Saint-Martin-lès-Melle Town Hall, where you can park.
(S/E) Leave the car park and turn right onto the D101 road towards Melle. The road runs alongside the stadium and crosses the Argentière stream. At the Prieuré (a large house before the first junction), cross the road and turn left onto the street opposite, heading towards a few houses. Turn right onto the street that runs behind several terraced houses. The street turns at a right angle; continue straight on along the path and up the steps. When you reach the D101, cross over and take Rue de Saint-Hilaire opposite.
(1) Cross the D948 and go straight on into Rue Saint-Martin. Immediately, turn right onto the road running alongside the D948. At the first junction with a path, turn left onto it. When you reach Rue du Glacis, turn left.
At the next junction, turn right onto Rue des Barrières. At the bottom of this street, turn right onto Rue des Carrières. Follow it to the end, then take the track that continues from it and ends in a farm track (at a bend). Turn left onto the farm track which leads to the edge of the embankment overlooking the D948.
(2) At this T-junction, take the path on the left that leads downhill. Stay on this path, which curves to the left and climbs back up towards Les Jamelles.
After Les Jamelles, you’ll come to a road that joins the road leading to the Melle town sewage treatment plant. At this junction, turn right, with your back to the sewage treatment plant. The road runs alongside the River Béronne.
(3) At the junction, turn right onto Rue de la Noblette, leaving Chemin de Loubeau on your left. Follow Rue de la Noblette, passing Rue du Pré du Gué on your left further on, until you reach a T-junction. Continue straight ahead along Chemin de la Découverte.
This leads to a T-junction; turn left onto Chemin de Roule Crotte. Just before the first houses, turn right onto the path and continue straight on to Rue du Pré de l’Écu.
(4) At the junction, continue straight on along Rue de Bretagne. Follow Rue de Bretagne until it meets Route de Limoges. Cross Route de Limoges and take Rue du Simplot opposite, which goes uphill (leaving Rue de Saint-Léger on your left). Walk almost the entire length of Rue du Simplot.
(5) Above the school, turn left into a narrow lane leading to Rue du Pain Bénit, which you follow by turning left. At the bottom of this street, cross Rue de Saint-Léger and first turn left then right onto Rue Basse Rolande.
When you reach Chemin de la Fosse aux Chevaux, turn left until you reach the next junction. Turn right into Allée du Bois Morat and, just before the end of the lane, take the path on the left. The path winds behind the Melle swimming pool. When you reach the entrance to the swimming pool, turn left onto the uphill lane leading to Rue du Stade.
(6) Turn right into Rue du Stade and immediately left into the slightly uphill street leading to Rue du Tapis Vert. Turn right into this street and, just over a hundred metres further on, turn left into a narrow lane that joins Rue Dutheil.
When you reach Rue Dutheil, turn right and take the alley immediately on the left after the row of houses (about 40 metres further on). This alley leads onto Rue de la Foucauderie, directly opposite Allée des Frênes.
Continue along Allée des Frênes, going straight on at the junction with Rue Haute. Follow this road, which turns left twice, to reach Rue de la Galène.
(7) Turn right and, at the junction with Rue des Boulitotes, turn left. At the next junction with Rue des Laveries, take the path opposite. At the next junction, turn right and join Rue de la Béronne.
Turn left and head downhill. At the junction with Rue de Villiers, cross the road and continue straight on past the Melle campsite (entrance).
Cross the Béronne via a small bridge and continue along the path which climbs towards the old railway bridge overlooking Rue de la Croix Casselin (this bridge now carries a cycle path).
(8) Turn left before the bridge to take the path uphill that runs alongside the Greenway or Chemin de la Découverte near the town of Melle.
Stay on this path. A little further on, you’ll see the entrance to the Forest Arboretum on the left (see the ‘during the walk or nearby’ section). The path leads onto the short Avenue de la Gare. Follow it to the end.
Turn right, leaving the Impasse de la Gare on your right, and take Avenue Roger Aubin uphill (to the right).
Head towards the roundabout, ignoring the streets on the right and left. Use the pedestrian crossings to cross the Melle bypass (on the left). Take the next left: this is the road leading to Saint-Martin.
(9) Immediately after the garage, cross the road and take the path on the right between the DSI garage and the Aldi store. Follow this path through the Perrot neighbourhood.
At the first junction, continue straight ahead. Do the same at the next junction with Rue des Écoles and take Allée de Chaillé opposite.
(10) Before the Argentière stream, turn left onto Allée Madeleine Goussard, which runs alongside it. When you reach Route de Montjarron, turn right and then immediately left onto the path that runs alongside the Argentière stream.
Just before reaching Route de Saint-Martin, you can admire the Fontaine de l'Argentière. When you reach Route de Saint-Martin, turn right towards the Town Hall and the village hall. You will soon reach the car park (S/E).
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