Sens-de-Bretagne < > St-Médard-sur-Ille
STAGE PROFILE : 16.0 km 4h00
A new stage, more pleasant than exhausting, which fitter pilgrims as well as those in a hurry could perhaps do in one day (albeit 35km !) all the way from Antrain to Saint-Médard. Anyway - and despite the presence of asphalt on even the smallest country road - this day is just as enjoyable and varied as the previous one... there is one problem, and of note, and that is of somewhere to stay in Saint-Médard ; do not hesitate to find out from the Mairie.
DIRECTIONS
0.00 Leave Sens-de-Bretagne from Place de la Mairie. Head towards Avenue Philippe-de-Volvire. Take it, going left for several dozen metres, before turning right onto Rue de Beaumanoir (D92). Follow it for 750m as far as the intersection towards La Hurlais where you take a right.
Follow the country road which turns left going through the hamlet of Hurlais (lovely houses). At the next intersection (2km), take a left for 300m before taking a farm track on the right (wet in winter). Go alongside a woods to your right and after 250m keep left; go alongside a field to a track just like the previous one, as far as the intersection with a tarmac road (3.2km).
Continue opposite onto a tree lined cart-track which turns right after a little more than 1km. 600m futher, head left onto a tarmac road which heads west as far as a...
1h25 05.9 Junction at the place known as Gilbert. Take a left ; at the second junction 500m away, again go left by a quiet, pleasant little road which leads, keeping to the right (8.2km) to the pond of Andouillé-Neuville which is overlooked by a superb church whose belltower is reflected in the calm waters. You pass by or stop at this church by taking the road to the right just after the end of the pond. After a break beside the pond and a visit to the church of...
2h15 8.8 ... Andouillé-Neuville, the path continues below, via Rue du Moulin, then via Rue de Neuville, which you follow to the left to get to the centre of the town (newly developed). The Mairie is on Place des Croisettes. Continue straight ahead via Rue de Princé (beautiful houses). Pass in front of the farm of Gué Barré (... the GR® 37 comes in from the left) and, after a bend, at a crossroads about a dozen metres further on turn right in the direction of Besnardière, then Haute Besnardière. Àt the next intersection, after 500m, take a left [Careful, don’t go onto the path opposite you !] then, after 160m continue to the right on a road which leads for a little more than 300m to the...
2h55 11.8 - ... D221. At the stopsign, take this D-road to the right then immediately cross it carefully to head left onto the GR® which follows a field fence and leads onto a farm track which you take to the right. This path, sometimes wet, goes alongside pastureland and crop-fields then goes right after about 500m into a little woods; follow the track which leads onto another path which you take to the right alongside a field. After 250m, take a tree-lined avenue on the right which leads to a hamlet (Haut Launay). At the first building, turn left and head onto a track which becomes stony in places.
You leave this track to go down a ‘hollow’ path. At the end of this, cross a little bridge and follow the path uphill. Near a house, turn left opposite the GR® 37, then immediately right near the farm of Mézeray, onto a hollow path (or along a field at the start) for a little more than 300m; go around the old farm of Cours Roger, developed now as a residence. Take the asphalt path on your left leading to this place to head down towards the...
3h10 14.5 - ... D91. Take it heading right for around 50m before heading onto a wide path lined with oak trees which opens up on the left (before the farm access road). This very pleasant dirt track goes alongside a number of pastures before narrowing uphill to become a ‘hollow’ path (subject to flooding). The path comes out onto a local road which goes around the town, which you must cross. The track goes along the border of a field which leads you to Rue du Louvre, which you go up to the left, and to the...
4h00 16.0 - ... Place de l’Église de Saint-Médard-sur-Ille.
