Walking and Cycling Circuits

Discover the Perseigne Forest by Bike or on Foot

Mountain Bike Tours around Ancinnes and the Forest

Special Offer - free loan of mountain bikes (x2), maps for the bike circuits of the Forest of Perseigne, car bike carrier if you need it (NB must be mounted on towball), helmets, etc.. for stays of 2 nights or more.

Bikes must be reserved in advance, subject to availability.

Gateway to the "Parc Régional de Normandie-Maine", the Forest of Perseigne is 5 minutes from our door on foot. There you can walk or ride for miles without meeting another soul. Either by bike or on foot, we delight in wandering its pathways and the wonderful countryside that surrounds it.

Ancinnes (Sarthe, Pays de la Loire) is also close to the GR22, a "Grand Randonnée" hiking route, which runs from Paris to Le Mont St Michel and passes through the Forest of Perseigne.

A side route of the GR22, the GR22c, runs through Ancinnes from Neufchatel en Saosnois to the Alpes Mancelles and links with several other walking routes.

In addition, there are several local routes for 'petites randonnées" of a day or less and adapt as you wish.

1. Ancinnes and its environs

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14km (9mi) 3hrs

DEPART: ANCINNES

1. From the Mairie take the road alongside the meadow and at the end turn right up the Route forestière d'Ancinnes
2. Keep going up past "la Louverie" and "le Berry"
3. Before the picnic area, turn left on the bridlepath along the side of the forest. Views of the village on your left, the Perseigne forest on your right.
4. Cross the D19 in the direction of "Bourg le Roi"
5. At "les Ormeaux" turn left then right in the direction of "Barenton". Pass the château farm "Chaigné ".
6. After le Petit Chaigné, turn left. Pass "Barenton".
7. At "Le Gué de l’Aune" turn right and immediately left - cross the stream "la Semelle".
8. After 200m take the little road that goes uphill to "le Coudray". Turn left on the road known as "la passe-vite", where a French tank was destroyed by Germans defending Ancinnes on the day of its liberation 11 August 1944. Beautiful views over the valley and village to your left.
9. Just before a triangle of land where a windmill once stood, take the steep, narrow road downhill towards Ancinnes. Pass "Montguillon", "les Rottes", "les Guillebeaudières".
10. When you reach D19, cross it and head uphill to "Le Grand Châtelet" and "Le Petit Châtelet".
11. Go straight ahead into the Forêt de Perseigne and turn immediately left onto a footpath which takes you in a straight line to the Ancinnes forest road.
12. Turn left at the end to return to the village.

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2. Ancinnes to Bourg le Roi

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11km (7mi) 3hrs

DEPART: ANCINNES

1. From the church take the road to Bourg le Roi
2. At "Les Ormeaux", turn left to "Chaigné" and "Barenton"
3. At "Barenton", turn right and pass "la Botellerie"
4. Then turn right again and arrive at the D108 - go left
5. Pass the cemetary and arrive at BOURG-LE-ROI by the Saint-Remy Gate
6. Take the rue de la Libération to the left and pass the ruins of the château (on top of the hill on the left)
7. Leave by the St Mathurin Gate next to the chapel and take the rue des Ramparts to the right
8. Re-enter the village by the rue des Plantagenets; turn left to the church
9. Go around the church (notice the "lavoir" in the garden down the slope) and come around to place du General Leclerc - memorial to the French WW2 general who paused there during the Battle of Normandy
10. In the square turn left in the direction of CHERISAY, then turn right at a barn outside the ramparts
11. Walk up the track to the Saint-Remy Gate, then turn left down the GR22c
12. Pass the farms "le Champ Chariot" and "le Champ Guimard" and cross a bridge
13. At the intersection, fork right in the direction of "le Gravier"
14. Continue uphill as far as "Clos Hibou", then turn left on the D108
15. Continue to Ancinnes

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3. Perseigne Forest

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ANCINNES - PERSEIGNE FOREST WALKS

Most forest walks are unpaved and rough in parts - walking boots are recommended, particularly in wet conditions.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SIGNPOSTED CIRCUITS - WE PREFER TO DO OUR OWN THING USING A MAP. THE SECTION OF MAP ALONGSIDE SHOWS ONLY A TINY PART OF THE FOREST, WHICH COVERS 6000 HECTARES (15000 ACRES) IN TOTAL.

The longest walk on this section, marked in red, is approximately 12km.

THIS SHOWS ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE FOREST OF PERSEIGNE - WE HAVE DETAILED MAPS AVAILABLE.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO SPEND A WEEK DOING NOTHING BUT EXPLORING THE FOREST TRAILS ON FOOT OR BY MOUNTAIN BIKE

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4. Ancinnes, Perseigne, Livet, Montreignier, Les Ormeaux

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17km (11mi) 5hrs, yellow signposts

DEPART : Ancinnes near the church - follow yellow signs

1. From the Mairie take the road alongside the meadow and at the end turn right up the Route forestière d'Ancinnes
2. Keep going up past "la Louverie" and "le Berry"
3. Take the earth track straight on at the bend with the Giant Sequoia and come to the crossroads of "Fontaine Pesée"
4. Take the track to the right "ligne forestière de Livet" which leads to the étang de "Vaubezon"
5. Cross the D165 and continue a few hundred metres on the C7, then take the half-tarmac dead-end road to the left (voie sans issue); then turn right up to the village of LIVET
6. Arriving at the church (see the lavoir de Saint-Martin, down road past Mairie) head for LOUVIGNY, passing the cemetery outside Livet.
7. Arriving at the main road D19, turn right and go past "l'Aubepine" and "Montregnier"
8. At the junction turn left then left again passing "le Coudray" et "la Butte". After la Butte, turn sharp right and pass "Vaugolay", "Au Gué de l'Aune". There, turn left to "Barenton"
9. Turn right there and pass "Petit Chaigne" as far as "les Ormeaux". Take the D108 off to the left and shortly turn right to "Ville Gagnée"
10. Joining the GR22c, cross the D19 et take the bridlepath up to the forest. You will come to the Route forestière d'Ancinnes. Turn right downhill and come back to the village.

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5. Ancinnes to the étang de l'Oisellerie

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7km (5mi). 2hrs, blue signposts

DEPART : Ancinnes near the church - follow blue signs

1. From the Mairie take the road alongside the meadow and at the end turn right up the Route forestière d'Ancinnes
2. Keep going up past "la Louverie" and "le Berry"
3. Just after le "Berry", take the GR22c bridleway off to the right into the forest
4. Emerging from the forest, pass "la Godarderie" and "le Petit Chatelet" on your right, keeping the forest on your left
5. Re-enter the forest just after le Petit Chatelet and eventually you come to the D165;turn right and follow it to the T junction and turn left along the D19
6. Arrive at the fishing lake "l'Oisellerie", take a tour around it and come back to the D19; head uphill
7. At the top turn right and right again - before heading downhill have a look at the view over Ancinnes. Descending, pass "Montguillon", "les Rottes", "les Guillebeaudières"
8. Arrive back at Ancinnes

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B & B Normandy