Sentier des puits d'ocre à Diges
Marked hike No. 114. Discovering the remains of open-air ocher wells and mines, the Sauilly ocher factory and its dryer.
Route details
Description
Parking is in front of the town hall on Place Marie Noël.
(D/A) Head towards the war memorial, keep it on the right while going up the street towards Montchenot. Cross the Jolivets d'en Bas and continue until the sign notifying the entry into Monchenot.
(1) Take, immediately on the left, an asphalt road (Chemin des Sables) for around fifty meters to continue on the dirt road, leaving Rue des Châtaigniers on the left. Walk along the football stadium on the right. Cross a road and continue straight on the road which serves Les Méhuts. Past the last resting place of the hamlet, the road becomes a path. In front of the woods, turn left and follow the edge to the right for around 100 m, then follow the fields and come out on a road.
(2) Take it on the right and keep it until Bréviandes. Shortly after the farm, at the corner of the house, turn onto the path on the left to reach a cross path. In front is an old open-air ocher mine.
(3) Go left and go down the road. Cross it and take the shoulder on the right. After going uphill for 150 m, enter a small entrance on the left going down steeply. Arrive in a field and continue for 50 m between the undergrowth on the left and a field on the right. At the end, turn right for about twenty meters then left, entering the undergrowth. Arriving in front of a fenced field, turn right and keep the main path until you reach a road.
(4) Ahead is a body of water that was an open-cast mining mine. Turn left, cross Verrerie Haute, keeping to the road. Reach a crossroads including a path on the left and a small lane on the right (opposite, an energy transmission pylon).
(5) Leave on the latter which ends quickly along the way at a crossroads. Forget the two side paths to enter the small path lined with trognes which arrives at the Butte d'Ocre.
(6) Do not go down this hill but turn right then, after a large bend, arrive at the foot of this hill. Continue on the path which, following a field, arrives at a place called Le Château. Leave the next two right-hand lanes on the descent and reach the D159 and the hamlet of Sauilly. Before crossing, take a look across the road towards the fortified farm.
(7) Go back to the left via Rue de l'Ocrerie and pass Chemin de la Ferme. At the first fork, turn right and, in the bend, head towards Les Mourrons – Les Brots. Go along the right hand side of an old industrial building which is the old ocher factory and its dryer.
(8) Continue to reach a Y-shaped intersection. Go left, still towards La Chenée – La Croix Joubelin. Take the first path on the left located before Chenée (la Chesnaie).
At the fork, leave this well-marked path to turn right onto a grassy lane. All lateral departures should be forgotten until you reach a service road near a house on the right. Continue on this path and go down towards the EDF enclosure (transformation and distribution station).
(9) Carefully cross the D459 to take the path opposite. Follow the fence on the right and pass under the HT lines, keeping the track which follows the ditch on the left. Go down into the wooded part then, after a stream (not always in water), go back up, keeping the main path to arrive at the hamlet of Groniers.
(10) Go left then, at the T-junction, right on the road for approximately 800 m.
(11) Turn left, direction Verrerie Haute – la Tuilerie (signs on the left). At the first dirt road, turn right to take it. Quickly return to the undergrowth. Leave a first start on the left and go down along a ravine, on the left.
(12) Cross the small tarmac lane to take the green path opposite. Pass under the HT line and weave through the undergrowth on the left. While leaving the side paths, follow the marked path then complete this path downhill on a sunken path. Arrive on a side path, with the D4 on the right.
(13) Take the road turning left without crossing it. Keep the left shoulder when passing in front of the wash house. Continue climbing with caution to turn left at the first crossroads. Go up Chemin de la Garenne, leave the stadiums on the left and, in front of the post office buildings, go down Rue de l'Ocre to find the war memorial and Place Marie Noël (D/A).
(D/A) Head towards the war memorial, keep it on the right while going up the street towards Montchenot. Cross the Jolivets d'en Bas and continue until the sign notifying the entry into Monchenot.
(1) Take, immediately on the left, an asphalt road (Chemin des Sables) for around fifty meters to continue on the dirt road, leaving Rue des Châtaigniers on the left. Walk along the football stadium on the right. Cross a road and continue straight on the road which serves Les Méhuts. Past the last resting place of the hamlet, the road becomes a path. In front of the woods, turn left and follow the edge to the right for around 100 m, then follow the fields and come out on a road.
(2) Take it on the right and keep it until Bréviandes. Shortly after the farm, at the corner of the house, turn onto the path on the left to reach a cross path. In front is an old open-air ocher mine.
(3) Go left and go down the road. Cross it and take the shoulder on the right. After going uphill for 150 m, enter a small entrance on the left going down steeply. Arrive in a field and continue for 50 m between the undergrowth on the left and a field on the right. At the end, turn right for about twenty meters then left, entering the undergrowth. Arriving in front of a fenced field, turn right and keep the main path until you reach a road.
(4) Ahead is a body of water that was an open-cast mining mine. Turn left, cross Verrerie Haute, keeping to the road. Reach a crossroads including a path on the left and a small lane on the right (opposite, an energy transmission pylon).
(5) Leave on the latter which ends quickly along the way at a crossroads. Forget the two side paths to enter the small path lined with trognes which arrives at the Butte d'Ocre.
(6) Do not go down this hill but turn right then, after a large bend, arrive at the foot of this hill. Continue on the path which, following a field, arrives at a place called Le Château. Leave the next two right-hand lanes on the descent and reach the D159 and the hamlet of Sauilly. Before crossing, take a look across the road towards the fortified farm.
(7) Go back to the left via Rue de l'Ocrerie and pass Chemin de la Ferme. At the first fork, turn right and, in the bend, head towards Les Mourrons – Les Brots. Go along the right hand side of an old industrial building which is the old ocher factory and its dryer.
(8) Continue to reach a Y-shaped intersection. Go left, still towards La Chenée – La Croix Joubelin. Take the first path on the left located before Chenée (la Chesnaie).
At the fork, leave this well-marked path to turn right onto a grassy lane. All lateral departures should be forgotten until you reach a service road near a house on the right. Continue on this path and go down towards the EDF enclosure (transformation and distribution station).
(9) Carefully cross the D459 to take the path opposite. Follow the fence on the right and pass under the HT lines, keeping the track which follows the ditch on the left. Go down into the wooded part then, after a stream (not always in water), go back up, keeping the main path to arrive at the hamlet of Groniers.
(10) Go left then, at the T-junction, right on the road for approximately 800 m.
(11) Turn left, direction Verrerie Haute – la Tuilerie (signs on the left). At the first dirt road, turn right to take it. Quickly return to the undergrowth. Leave a first start on the left and go down along a ravine, on the left.
(12) Cross the small tarmac lane to take the green path opposite. Pass under the HT line and weave through the undergrowth on the left. While leaving the side paths, follow the marked path then complete this path downhill on a sunken path. Arrive on a side path, with the D4 on the right.
(13) Take the road turning left without crossing it. Keep the left shoulder when passing in front of the wash house. Continue climbing with caution to turn left at the first crossroads. Go up Chemin de la Garenne, leave the stadiums on the left and, in front of the post office buildings, go down Rue de l'Ocre to find the war memorial and Place Marie Noël (D/A).
To discover nearby
Average level
Average level
Easy level
Easy level
Average level
Average level
Easy level
Average level
Easy level
