Sentier des Trois Moulins - St Ciers sur Bonnieure

From east to west, St Ciers is criss-crossed by the Bonnieure and the Tardoire, winding rivers lined with poplar trees, full of fish and much sought-after by fishing enthusiasts. The Trois Moulins trail winds its way around the Bonnieure valley and, a little further afield, "le petit dolmen des Grouges" is well worth a diversion for prehistoric enthusiasts. This is a peaceful, hilly, wooded area, dotted with hamlets and old watermills. The economic railway was nicknamed the petit Mairat, after an elected official from Charente. Also known as the "tortillard", it linked Luxé to Saint-Angeau in 59 minutes. Inaugurated in 1911, the line closed in 1939. The footbridge: located where the Tardoire joins the Bonnieure, was built in 1895 to replace the ford. On the left bank you can see a fish tank with running water. Grouges dolmen A stop at the "little fountain" known as Villebette, but it remains to be discovered as it is so discreet... The 3 mills: as you descend into the valley, the Moulin de la Courrière, the Moulin de Patary and the Moulin de l'Oiseau are privately owned; they are easy to spot from the bed of the Bonnieure thanks to their layout. Le Breuil and Les Arteaux, two hamlets, the first of which has an "alleyway" between barns and old stone houses leading to the Chemin des Pompiers. Chez Troubat can be seen on the opposite plateau. The wood of La Garenne is criss-crossed from east to west by a quiet, shady grassy and stony path, with the course of the River Bonnieure visible below. On the way back, you can make out the Tardoire valley in the distance, then below, the village of Saint Ciers, its roofs intertwined and tightly packed around the church. A few metres further on, you'll come across the gravestones in the square, reminders of the old cemetery, at the foot of a century-old yew tree. Please note: this path is not passable if the water level rises.