HAWTHORN TRAIL

Departure from the Place de l'Eglise du Tablier.

Saint Mélaine (represented in the central stained glass window of the nave), bishop of Rennes from 505 to 530, has been the patron saint of the parish of Apron since the construction of the first church, which was burned down by the infernal column of Huché. The current church, rebuilt in the 1880s, is oriented in the opposite direction to the first so that the current entrance faces the road. The church contains a naïve painting by Gildas Rayneau, a local artist, representing a Virgin and Child.

In 1892, the owners wanted to demolish the tower, the last vestige of the fortified castle of La Gerbaudière from the XNUMXth century. For this they use dynamite. The tower sealed on a rock tilts but does not go any further and remains thus, tilting on its rounded edge, for more than a century.

Former seigneury of Talmondais, seat of the castellany of the same name until the Revolution. The castle was burned down by the Republican army in 1794.

The Domaine de la Vrignaie is at the heart of the AOC Fiefs Vendéens Mareuil appellation. In this family property, exploited for four generations, the Brisson family devotes itself to the cultivation of the vine and the vinification of the grapes from the cellars to the bottling. The Domaine de la Vrignaie will be 50 years old at the end of 2022. Come and discover the cuvées of La Vrignaie, Le Chétif Champ and its variation of Molinum, L'excellence, and La Déferlante.

The Yon valley between Boutet and Piquet is the most picturesque part of the Yon. The significant difference in height accelerates the course of the water which slides between the blocks of granite with hollowed and plump shapes. These are the pots of giants.

This huge granite block is placed in the river and is of a different nature from the rocks of the basement. It certainly marked a place of passage for people and goods. Its probably druidic origin gives it a wonderful character, conducive to many legends. Rabelais made it the scene of an adventure of his famous giant Gargantua: this one would have improvised a game of shuffleboard with Lucifer, whose goal was Roussière. The Nauline stone, puck of Gargantua, would be the witness of his victory! The stone is not visible directly from the trail due to vegetation. Go down below to observe it.

Back in the village, do not hesitate to stroll around to appreciate the charm of the village and its old buildings.