Angrie has two distinctive sides: the hedgerow landscape of the Landes d’Angrie and buildings with a range of historical features. There is a practical guide for planning your time: the Les Grés et Terres d’Angrie circular trail starts and ends in Angrie. It is 23 kilometres long; walking the route takes approximately five hours and 30 minutes. This allows you to treat a longer activity and cultural and historical discoveries as separate focal points of your stay.
Landscape and nature of the Landes d’Angrie
The plateau of the Landes d’Angrie is characterised by a hedgerow landscape. Ridges of rock, made mostly of schist, encourage the development of heathland. Together with neighbouring meadows and ponds, the heathland forms a large area of particular natural interest. This landscape therefore includes several habitats: heathland sits alongside meadows and ponds, rather than defining the character of the area on its own.
Wildlife is also part of the natural character of the Landes d’Angrie. It is home to rare and endangered populations of adders and great crested newts. Alongside its architectural history, Angrie therefore offers a clearly defined connection with nature as a focus for your trip.
A longer route and different ways to explore
The Les Grés et Terres d’Angrie circular trail provides a practical guide to how long an activity will take. The walking time of around five hours and 30 minutes should be treated as an estimate and may vary depending on your pace. Combined with its length of 23 kilometres, this suggests planning to walk the route as a longer part of the day, rather than a short stop. The trail is also open to horse riders and mountain bikers. The stated duration applies to walking; the other listed activities offer a different way to approach the route.
Architectural history from the 17th to the 19th century
The parish church of Saint-Pierre replaced an older church and was built from 1869 to 1873. Its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross: in other words, the building has a cruciform layout. Two chapels add to the range of construction dates. The Chapelle de la Gâchetière was built in 1632; the Chapelle Notre-Dame du Cœur immaculé de Marie, dite de la Croix-Poulet, was built from 1845 to 1846. These dates show the span of time covered by the religious buildings without grouping them into a single construction phase.
The Château d’Angrie is the first Neo-Gothic château in Anjou. Its reception rooms feature trompe-l’œil decorations by Achille Léger; parts of the château are protected as a historic monument.
The Moulin-Neuf windmill, also known as the Moulin de la Marmite, was probably built in the 17th century. It ceased operating in 1952; in 1980 it was restored and made operational again. It had already been added to the supplementary inventory of historic monuments in 1975.
The Manoir de la Gâchetière is listed as a historic monument. Its façades, roofs and chapel are protected; the relevant listing is dated 19 January 2022. Another cultural attraction is the lime kilns of La Veurière: visitors can access them by prior reservation. If you plan a visit, arrange your reservation in advance.
Discover more destinations: Noëllet, Marcé, Parçay-Les-Pins, Loiré, Seiches-Sur-Le-Loir, La Fosse-De-Tigné, Meigné-Le-Vicomte, Châteauneuf-Sur-Sarthe.
For the broader travel overview: Maine-Et-Loire.
