Country:
City:
The starting point is at car park 1 of Leforest cemetery, Rue de l’Égalité (D161).
(S/E) Head towards the footpath leading away from the cemetery. Just before Rue de Biarritz, stay on the path which then runs alongside Rue des Landes. The path turns right and crosses this street, then passes through the mining estate.
(1) Cross Rue Séraphin Cordier carefully at the pedestrian crossing, pass the car park and continue along the path; there is a wood on your right as you follow the path. At the junction of the paths, turn right. You will arrive at Leforest slag heap 122.
(2) Do not take the path and steps leading up the slag heap; instead, keep to the right to go round it. Walk almost all the way round it, then head back down a path that is quite steep. Continue along the path, passing a pasture on your right, then cross a sports ground to rejoin the path. Turn right and you’ll find yourself back on Rue Séraphin Cordier.
(3) Take it on the right, then take the path on the right which starts with a barrier blocking cars. After about twenty metres, turn left to reach the woodland car park. Turn right to take the path. At the end, turn left. You will actually be making a slight circular loop which will then take you back to the main path.
(4) Turn left. You are now on what is known as "La Boucle des 3 Cavaliers" (the "cavaliers" were private tracks used to transport coal); it is a fairly wide path. Continue straight on for about 400 m. Then turn right, crossing a small wooden bridge closed to riders (on horseback, in this case). Carry on straight ahead; the narrow path turns left after about 200 m, then left again after about 100 m. Stay on the path without turning right; you’ll come to another wooden bridge which takes you back to the main path of the circular Boucle des Cavaliers.
(5) Continue straight on along the small path leading to the Bois du Court Digeau. The path turns left after about a hundred metres, then joins a wider path. Take it on the right (south-west direction). Then turn right onto a pretty wooden bridge that takes you over a pond visible on the right. Continue along the path until you reach the houses of the Cité du Court Digeau. Take the Pue du 19 Mars 1962 on the right.
(6) Turn right onto the Sentier du Court Digeau. Cross Rue Jules Guesde and continue straight on along the path, which is now called Ruelle Paquette. The Ostricourt slag heap is visible on the right. It is larger and taller than the one at Leforest.
(7) At the foot of the slag heap, turn left. Stay on the path so as to go round the slag heap, making a three-quarter circle. When you reach the Grande Mosquée d’Ostricourt, stay on the path that runs to the right of the mosque. 200 m further on, turn right again. 200 m further on, turn left and pass to the left of the municipal workshops. When you reach Rue de la Libération, take the path on the left called Chemin de la Grande Carrière, then immediately left again to reach the Arbre Échelle. This is an oak tree that is said to have been used by the German army during the First World War as an observation post. The tree is around 40 metres tall and over 200 years old. You can still see some of the iron rungs that formed a ladder, although most of them have disappeared beneath the living bark.
(8) Retrace your steps slightly to find the path to the Grande Carrière and head left towards the north-east for about 200 m. Turn left at the end of the path and continue until you reach a wide track.
::9: Take it on the right. The path is called La Drève du Point de Vue; it is in the Bois de l’Offlarde, which is itself part of the Phalempin National Forest. Take the third path on the right (after about 500 m), which is significantly narrower than La Drève. Cross a road that is blocked on the left due to fireworks activities and continue straight on for another 100 m or so.
(10) The path turns 90° to the left. Continue for another 200 m or so and turn right onto a narrower path. Walk for about 500 m, then the path turns left. Continue until you see the Thumeries Golf Course.
(11) Turn left onto the path that runs alongside the golf course. Stay on the path as it turns right and then left to join a main road called Rue de la Libération.
(12) Turn right until you reach Route de Moncheaux (D8). Cross the road , taking great care as there is no pedestrian crossing. Continue along the path until you reach Rue Joseph Beghin. Turn right, staying on the path to the right of the street. Before reaching the end of the street, turn left at the pedestrian crossing. You will arrive at a path called the Voie Verte, which runs parallel to the Route de Moncheaux (D8). Stay on this path for about one kilometre.
(13) Stay on the Voie Verte even after it branches off from the Route de Moncheaux. Cross the town of Moncheaux, passing through Rue du Moulin and then Rue du Bouvincourt (D120) until you reach Rue de la Gare (D8).
(14) Cross it, then leave the Voie Verte on your left as you head to the right of the City Stadium, also known as the Skate Park. Stay on the path that runs to the left of the stadium, then turn right and then left until you reach Rue du Bouvalot. Take the street to the right until you reach the end.
(15) Turn left onto Rue du Haut (D120). Keep to the left-hand side of the road and follow it for about 800 m; the D120 from the north (Moncheaux) becomes the D161 as it enters the Pas-de-Calais (Leforest).
You are back at the cemetery car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Easy 
Difficult 
