Circuit VTT N°20 - "Circuit du lac Baron-Desqueyroux"

A very fast route with large sections in the forest, but also a succession of hills with beautiful views over the countryside. On arrival, take the time to stroll along the Baron-Desqueyroux lake or to discover the Mysterra leisure park. Interest of the circuit : The church of Saint-Babylas de Vallet, probably destroyed during the Wars of Religion by the brothers of La Rochefoucauld, Protestant lords of Montendre, this church has a single nave and a right chevet. The bell was donated by François de Fisson, Lord of Bessac, in 1660. The facade and the bell tower were completely rebuilt around 1860. The building still has a 15th century window, restored in 1998 and 1999 by two "Solidarité Jeunesse" projects, as well as a crypt with three-metre high barrel vaults which would have been the burial place of the family of the lords of Bessac. The cemetery is located outside the town. Since 15 August 1940, the monument to the dead has commemorated the eight dead of the commune during the First World War. The church of Saint-Etienne de Pommiers has frescoes from the 15th century. Located on the wall of the chevet, in the heart, this mural represents Saint Crépin and Saint Crépinien, two shoemaker brothers who gave free shoes to the people. In the vicinity, a cerclet stone, a dolmen made up of seven stones, can be seen. The church of Saint-Hilaire de Coux, ruined and rebuilt several times, notably during the Wars of Religion, this rectangular and oriented church is surrounded by its cemetery. The nave is very simple and is covered by an insulated plaster ceiling. A small chapel is located on the north side. Three old column bases remain behind the font. The 19th century square bell tower, above the entrance door, has a door and a round-headed window and a slate roof. Its bell dates from 1844. The church of Saint-Pierre de Chardes, located in its cemetery, away from the town hall and the school, was completed in 1903. This rectangular church has a semi-circular apse. The façade, rebuilt in 1891, is topped by a bell tower bearing the 1727 bell.nearby is the square of Michel Chauvin, a former pupil of the Chardes school, a radio pilot in the Aéronavale who died on 1 January 1945. His aircraft was shot down in flight during the fighting in the "Royan pocket", as the monument erected on the square recalls. A marble plaque bearing the names of the dead of the two world wars is affixed to the base of the old calvary, opposite the town hall. Not far away is the covered fountain of Les Esserts, also restored by the association "Solidarité Jeunesse" based in Montendre at the Maison des Bateleurs. The castle of Montendre dates from the Middle Ages. Its walls are flanked by four round towers and a square tower which serves as an entrance. The castle now houses the Museum of Arts and Traditions.