Colonard-Corubert: Hiking Trails and Churches

Colonard-Corubert offers two specific topics to consider when planning your trip: hikes with stated distances and the architectural history of its churches. The hilly bocage landscape and the Bois de Sublaine, a named woodland area, are also part of the picture. You can start by deciding whether you would rather set aside your time for a tour or for the history of the churches.

Hiking routes by time and distance

Four hikes are listed with their distances and durations. The route along Le ruisseau du Merdereau covers 3.3 kilometres and takes one hour. Le vieux bourg is listed at 5 kilometres and 1 hour 20 minutes. A 6.3-kilometre route passes through the Bois de Sublaine and is estimated to take 1 hour 45 minutes. At 16.5 kilometres and 4 hours 30 minutes, La Corbonasière is the longest route and has the longest estimated duration. The three shorter tours take between one hour and 1 hour 45 minutes; according to the stated times, La Corbonasière takes 3 hours 30 minutes longer than the shortest route. For your planning, first check how much time you have available, then compare the distances. Check the current trail markers on site.

Hilly bocage and the Bois de Sublaine

The hilly bocage landscape describes the overall character of Colonard-Corubert. The Bois de Sublaine adds a specifically named place to this landscape: it is one of two large woodland areas in the municipality, and a hiking route passes through it. If you would like to consider a named landscape feature as well as distance and duration when choosing a tour, you can take this connection into account. A general landscape type and a particular woodland area thus offer two distinct points of reference for the surroundings.

Two churches and their history

The Ancienne église de Courthioust is a single-nave building dating from the 11th century. Its apse has a half-dome vault; the portal on the west façade dates from the 13th century. The portal is therefore dated later than the building; the single-nave layout and half-dome vault describe other features of the structure. The different dates thus refer to different parts of the church: the building itself and its west portal.

The new church in Buisson was built in 1856. In 1859, Charles-Frédéric Rousselet, Bishop of Sées, blessed and consecrated the building. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph and Saint Martin. The year of construction and the year of consecration mark different stages in the building’s history. For a chronological comparison, the 19th-century construction and consecration history here can be set alongside the details for the Ancienne église de Courthioust: its construction in the 11th century and its portal in the 13th century.

The historic route of the D920

The present-day D920 is also part of the local history. It passes through Colonard-Corubert and was built along the route of the former royal road between Paris and Le Mans. The present-day D920 and the former royal road thus represent two different periods in the history of the same route. While the churches illustrate architectural form and the history of their consecration, the road adds the historical development of a transport link. This makes it possible to explore the area’s history through several topics: hiking trails and landscape, church buildings, and the former road route.

Discover more destinations: Champcerie, Dame-Marie, Moulins-La-Marche, Bellême, Marcei, Cerisé, Moutiers-Au-Perche, La Madeleine-Bouvet

For the broader travel overview: Orne.