Chemin de terre Harrison Barker Dronne

The Barker Dronne path plunges you into the footsteps of a 19th century English traveler. This 90km itinerary starts in Aubeterre sur Dronne and ends in Brantôme. It crosses the Dronne valley through charming villages with their mills and Romanesque churches.

The Dronne Valley is, according to Harrison Barker, "a tributary of the Isle, which he who has not stifled the love of beauty in his soul cannot see without being overcome by the charm of its gentle influence.

In 1892 and 1893, Harrison Barker travelled the Dronne valley, sometimes on foot, sometimes by canoe. He depicts the Périgord of that time, with its inns and their fried goujons, its mills, its whimsical characters, with an inquisitive and often amused look, writing the account of his trip in the book published in 1894 "Two Summers in Guyenne. A chronicle of the wayside and waterside".

The Dronne valley is characterized by a low relief. On the hills with softened lines framing the banks of the Dronne and its tributaries, the small lawns, dry moors and woodlands clinging to the slopes, bring a certain diversification and naturalness to the landscape.

From Aubeterre sur Dronne to Brantôme, passing by Ribérac, discover the mills, the megaliths, the villages huddled near their Romanesque churches, and the encounters that Harrison Barker made during his trip in the 19th century.

Explore the Dronne Valley on foot, by canoe or by bicycle!
You can walk from Aubeterre sur Dronne to Brantôme and return by bike or by canoe (with your own boat).

The topoguide is available free of charge at the tourist office of Aubeterre sur Dronne. It will give you indications on the shops and services you will find in each of the villages crossed in order to prepare your trip.