Circular walk starting from Neufmanil

Park in the designated spaces on Rue Jean-Jaurès.

(S/E) Opposite the town hall, turn left towards the documentation centre, head for the Place de l’Ancienne Mairie, turn right and follow the road for a few dozen metres until you reach the junction with Rue de Gesly (or Gelly).

(1) Turn left onto the tarmac road, which quickly becomes a track. The climb initially heads south-west, then the track turns west and reaches a junction with several other tracks.

(2) Turn right and head towards another junction on a level stretch.

(3) Turn left until you reach a Fork in the road, then turn left again.

(4) Turn right, heading due south, down a slope towards the valley of the Ruisseau de la Fontaine des Gravis. Continue in the same direction, following the steepest slope at junctions, until you reach the small pond where you join the forest track.

(5) Turn right onto it, heading uphill, until you reach the RD58 at the highest point of the Aiglemont plateau, with the village of Aiglemont lying further south. Once you reach the road, it’s time to turn back towards Neufmanil, which you do by following it to the left for about a hundred metres.

(6) Cross the road carefully to join a forest track that runs in line with the road, before it bends left and heads downhill. This track is located past the car park, which is often muddy as many vehicles and forestry machinery are parked there.
Follow the forest track straight ahead, ignoring any paths or tracks that join it from the right or left. After a steep descent, you’ll rejoin the RD58, which you should follow carefully for about 200 metres.

(7) Turn right onto Rue des Tignolets, then continue right again, diagonally, to follow Rue Holia.

(8) Turn right onto Rue Pasteur, then first turn left then right to reach Place de la Pile, where you’ll come to the Ruisseau des Trois Fontaines. Walk to the pedestrian crossing, cross over and head right towards the cemetery entrance.

(9) Enter the cemetery, which has a few interesting graves and vaults and is well worth a look. Exit onto Rue des Bains Nauches, turn right, then right again to return to the entrance.

(9) Cross back at the pedestrian crossing, turn right onto Rue de l’Église. Walk past the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, then continue left to reach Rue Jean-Jaurès and return to the car park (S/E).

(3) If you carried on straight ahead, you would reach the site of the Aiglemont anarchist colony, founded by Fortuné Henry in the early 20th century. I couldn’t find the exact location, but there’s probably nothing left to see there now.

In Neufmanil, there are places to quench your thirst or grab a bite to eat.

- at the bar-restaurant “Chez Nono”.

- at the “Atelier Louvigny” bakery.

Both are closed on Mondays.

Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Neufmanil Cemetery.
The former town hall and its wash house.
Another washhouse on Rue Pierre Delmont.
Two watermills: one restored and now used as a municipal lodge, the other converted into a residential property at a place called ‘Le Cabrera’.