Castillon tower

Agriculture and livestock farming

Architecture and village

History and culture

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A short walk to discover the hamlet of Castillon with its tower, bread oven and splendid views.

3 points of interest

Architecture
Castillon
Castillon is the name of both the hamlet and the tower located slightly below it. The hamlet was a very early victim of rural depopulation. Its inhabitants went to live in Bessèges, whose houses had more domestic comfort. Even today Castillon has no running water, and those who live there have to be creative to procure a sufficient and steady supply.
History
Castillon castle
From afar, you can only make out the tower, which was used for area surveillance. You need to be on-site to understand that there must have been an entire mediaeval complex here. Note the cistern carved into the rock at the foot of the tower, and the spouts used to fill it with rainwater collected from the roofs. Only a few vestiges remain of the castle. Its buildings were surrounded by a ditch to reinforce the defences. We know for sure that the castle existed in 1211, but we do not know the dates of its construction or demolition...
Architecture
Foussignargues
Foussignargues was its own municipality until 1972, but is now part of Bessèges. It has a brick church, which is very rare in the region. This is a reminder of the extent to which Cévenol architecture was influenced by the mining epoch, especially in its use of terra cotta, which had previously been almost unknown in the area. Work has been carried out to make the church more secure, especially by the addition of a render that covers the bricks.

Description

Signposts will guide you all along this route. In the description below, the signposted place names and/or directions are given in bold italics between quotation marks:

Starting at the signpost "Foussignargues", follow "La croix de La Nouvelle", "La Nouvelle" till you reach "La Coste-Est", then head to "CASTILLON" via "Les Planasses". Enjoy the views before returning to "Foussignargues" via "Le Pré Jaune".

This hike is taken from the guidebook Cévennes Haute Vallée de la Cèze, published by the Communauté de communes Cèze Cévennes as part of the collection Espaces Naturels Gardois and the label Gard Pleine Nature.

Departure : Foussignargues
Arrival : Foussignargues
Towns crossed : Bessèges

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Make sure your equipment is appropriate for the day’s weather conditions. Take enough water, wear sturdy shoes and put on a hat. Please close all gates and barriers behind you.

Information desks

Tourism office CezeCévennes, Bessèges

14 rue de la République, 30160 Bessèges

https://www.tourisme-ceze-cevennes.com/ot.besseges@gmail.com 04 66 25 08 60

This office is part of the National Park's associated tourist-information network, whose mission is to provide information on, and raise awareness of, the sites and events as well as the rules that must be observed in the National Park's central zone.
Open year-round

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Tourism office Cèze-Cévennes Saint-Ambroix

Place de l'ancien Temple, 30500 Saint-Ambroix

https://www.tourisme-ceze-cevennes.com/ot.stambroix@gmail.com 04 66 24 33 36

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Transport

liO is the regional public transport service of the Occitanie/ Pyrénées – Méditerranée region. It facilitates everyone’s movements by prioritising public transport. For more information, call 08 10 33 42 73 or go to www.laregion.fr