The Ben Vieure A Bagnou association reopens a forgotten path in Bagnols-sur-Cèze

Au départ de la boucle, chemin de Chaudeyrac, les membres de l’association avec l’élu Philippe Berthomieu. C. C. – Midi Libre

En quelques mois, des bénévoles, quartier de Chaudeyrac, ont œuvré pour aménager une boucle à parcourir en famille, entre vignes, oliviers, grenadiers et murets en pierre. 

They didn’t hang around! When they proposed the project to the elected official Philippe Berthomieu at the end of 2023, the objective was to open as quickly as possible a path, used at the end of the 19th century, the beginning of the 20th century, and which has since fallen into the trappings. oversight. It’s done! The "Timon Lepidus" discovery trail, a 2.5 km loop, is open for walking, starting from Chemin de Chaudeyrac, and accessible with children.
"These are small historic paths. In the old days, people passed by in carts here. There, it was impossible to pass, trees, everything had to be cleared, to recreate it over the first few hundred meters. We worked a lot. We evacuated around ten tonnes of earth, then did manual clearing", explains Olivier Jean-Vigier, president of the Montigal-Chaudeyrac Ben Vieure A Bagnou neighborhood association. An association created in 2005, put on hold in recent years, and which has resumed activity (it has around forty members). Élodie Illi is the secretary and François Bono is the treasurer. “Why not create a discovery trail to discover, among other things, the ocellated lizard [Latin name: Timus lepidus which gave the name to the trail], a protected species, in a neighborhood where vines, olive trees, pomegranates grow… ”

Preserving the environment

An association whose mission is to preserve the environment and fight against urbanization excessive. “We are in a green lung, outside Bagnols, we want to preserve it.” 

The discovery trail runs through communal land and private paths for which the owners have accepted the passage of walkers. The loop passes in particular along the edge and on the property of the Saleilles couple, of the Grenattitude farm.
The town hall took charge of making the signs on a model proposed by the association. About ten small signs mark the path, the signage is currently being installed. The volunteer local residents are really happy with this completed project even if there is “still work to do, especially for the low walls”. And they hope that the people of Bagnolais will benefit from it!