Happiness is in the woods

The Sully lime tree

A symbol of justice and peace since Antiquity, the lime tree was often planted to celebrate the return of peace. In France, on the initiative of Sully, minister to Henri IV, many squares, such as at Saint-Romain or at Saillant, welcomed this fine tree. During the Revolution, the lime tree became a “tree of liberty”.

Start: From the square in Saint-Romain (Sully lime tree, church), take the D67 that leaves the village going uphill. 1. At the first intersection, take the little road that goes down to the left (past lecterns 2 and 3). A few metres after the wash house, take a little road on the right. Leave it very quickly to take the grassy track that climbs on your left, past a house. Continue on this track, which leads into the forest. Go behind an isolated house before reaching the hamlet of Tignier.

2. After the first building, take a wide dirt track on the left. Before it becomes tarmac (it leads to the hamlet of L’Autoriche), go down to the left by a little path to the Molle stream. Continue on this track then, at the first intersection, climb to the right to reach a fine beech wood.

3. At lectern 7, branch off to the left. Keep going straight on to reach the abandoned, ruined hamlet of Les Gouttes, a witness to a once larger population.

4. In the ruined hamlet, go down to the left through the woods. Keep going straight down to a wide forest road. Follow this road to the left, which leads to Saint-Romain.