Around Sorbais with Didou the owl

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Starting from Sorbais, Didou the little owl invites you into his domain: the bocage
She offers you an educational and informative exploration of the upper Oise valley, its bocage, its wildlife and flora, and its traditional activities.
So, between (1) and (3), you can follow the first section of the trail, which is marked with themed information panels.

Details

n°1416565
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.05 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 103 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 100 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 184 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 121 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Sorbais (02580)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.90756° / E 3.894077°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2708E
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Photos

Saint-Martin Church in Sorbais
A hedge of pollarded hornbeams
The Oise Valley

Description of the walk

Parking available at Impasse de la Mairie.

(S/E) Turn your back on the church. Take the path directly in front of you and cross the Lerzy using the wooden footbridge. Continue straight on for about a hundred metres to reach Rue Jean Fécelle

(1) Turn right here, then immediately left onto Rue de la Louvière. After 60 metres, turn left again. Continue along Rue de la Louvière.

(2) At the end of the tarmac, continue along a grassy path that runs alongside the Oise.

(3) At the T-junction at the end of the path, after passing a beautiful hedge of pollarded hornbeams (see Practical Information), turn right and you will reach a tarmac road. Turn right onto this road until you reach the first junction.

(4) Continue straight on along the road. At the next junction, turn right and follow this road for about 550 m until you reach a second junction with the D1660.

(5) Turn left onto this road and follow it for 900 m.

(6) At the junction, turn right and head down towards the farm at Saint-Pierre Prez. Cross the Lerzy and reach a fork in the road.

(7) Turn right. Caution: there are beehives near the path. Continue for 600 m until you reach a tarmac road in the hamlet of Rue Maillard.

(8) Turn right onto this road for about 100 m, then take a grassy path between two hedgerows. Follow this path for 1.5 km until you reach a tarmac road

(9) Turn right onto it and head back down towards the village of Sorbais via Rue de l'Eglise. Walk for about 450 metres until you reach the end of the wooden crash barriers.

(10) Before number 13 on the street, turn right and continue along a grassy country lane for 180 metres.

(11) At the bottom of this lane, turn left into Rue du Moulin and continue straight on to Rue de Verdun (RD313) 240 metres further on. Walk past the Salle des Associations, cross the square and the adjoining car park, continue along the footpath and reach the (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 125 m - Parking: Impasse de la Mairie
  2. 1 : km 0.15 - alt. 125 m - On the right, Rue Jean Fécelle
  3. 2 : km 0.61 - alt. 127 m - Grassy path - Oise (l')
  4. 3 : km 1.64 - alt. 123 m - T-junction, turn right
  5. 4 : km 2.7 - alt. 158 m - Shortcut available
  6. 5 : km 3.38 - alt. 136 m - Crossroads, turn left
  7. 6 : km 4.29 - alt. 148 m - Crossroads; turn right towards the farm
  8. 7 : km 4.79 - alt. 140 m - Junction, on the right
  9. 8 : km 5.39 - alt. 184 m - The hamlet of Rue Maillard, on the right
  10. 9 : km 6.95 - alt. 152 m - Tarmac road, on the right
  11. 10 : km 7.41 - alt. 139 m - Grassy country lane
  12. 11 : km 7.59 - alt. 125 m - Rue du Moulin
  13. S/E : km 8.05 - alt. 125 m - Parking: Impasse de la Mairie

Notes

(3) The so-called "pollard" shape is the result of specific tree management. This involves regular pruning of the branches at the top of the trunk, approximately every 10 years (firewood).

Wellies recommended in wet weather.

(4) There is an alternative route and a shortcut available by taking the grassy path on your right, which leads back down to Sorbais (total length of the alternative route: 3.8 km).

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
marie marco
marie marco

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 23 February 2026: the shortcut back to Sorbais is at number 5.
Furthermore, between markers 7 and 8, the final 200 metres of the section are impassable. The stream has taken over the path. Very slippery section with lots of stones.
Between 8 and 9, over 200 metres, the path is very slippery.
Otherwise, a pleasant route

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jean-pierre 59
jean-pierre 59

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through the Thiérache countryside along some very pleasant back roads!
We extended the route from marker 7 by turning left just before the apiary and doing a circular loop that added perhaps 3 km, rejoining the original route at marker 8. (This involved a short stretch on a tarmac road.)
We had a picnic by the Lerzy stream just before reaching number 9 – absolutely brilliant!!
The village of Sorbais is very pretty and the guesthouse ‘Le Bocage’ is definitely worth a visit.

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maxvalet
maxvalet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

To explore the landscapes of the Thièrache.
Signposted route.
On the final third of the route, the path is not maintained but is passable.

Machine-translated

josettelimont
josettelimont

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk in the beautiful autumn sunshine.

Beautiful, well-maintained paths through hedgerows.

A very pleasant start to the route with its information boards.

Highly recommended... even with young children.

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