The donkeys

This walk will introduce you to this charming village in Artois and its surroundings. Following good paths across the plains and through the woods, you will reach the entrance to Mont Saint-Éloi, with a view of the old abbey.

Details

86554422
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.29 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 81 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 82 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 163 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 121 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park next to the village hall

(S/E) Exit the car park, take Rue de l'Église on the right and cross Rue de la République on the right-hand side.

(1) Cross Rue Sanverne on the right-hand side and you will soon reach an intersection at the foot of Saint-Vaast Church.

(2) Continue straight ahead on Rue du Presbytère. At the end, turn right and continue to the cemetery.

(3) Turn left and continue straight ahead. Keep going until you reach the end of the road. Turn left and you will reach Rue de Villers.

(4) Follow it to the left and continue straight ahead until you reach a T-junction.

(5) Turn right, then take the first left. At the end, on the road, first turn right then left and continue straight ahead until the end of the road.

(6) First turn right then left. At the end, turn left and join the road (D65).

(7) Cross it and continue straight ahead. At the end, turn right and keep going until you reach another road.

(8) Continue straight ahead until you reach the crossroads.

(9) Turn left onto Rue des Rossignols, then take the path that continues on to a crossroads.

(10) Turn left onto a path not shown on the map and enter the woods. At the end, turn left and reach the edge of the forest.

(11) Keep right, at the end keep left and continue straight ahead. Then turn left to reach a fork near a water tower.

(12) Turn right and return to the crossroads you took on the way there.

(2) Follow Rue de l'Église to the left.

(1) Take the first left, Rue Sanverne. Then turn right onto Rue du Bois Jacques. Cross Rue de la République on the right-hand side, then turn right onto Rue Pasteur. This will take you back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 147 m - Car park next to the village hall.
  2. 1 : km 0.13 - alt. 148 m - Crossroads of the small circular
  3. 2 : km 0.21 - alt. 146 m - Crossroads of the large circular loop - Église Saint-Vaast (Villiers-au-Bois)
  4. 3 : km 0.64 - alt. 123 m - Cemetery
  5. 4 : km 2.68 - alt. 137 m - Rue de Villers
  6. 5 : km 4.27 - alt. 137 m - Fork
  7. 6 : km 5.68 - alt. 142 m - End of the trail
  8. 7 : km 6.7 - alt. 137 m - Route D65
  9. 8 : km 7.99 - alt. 163 m - Road
  10. 9 : km 8.89 - alt. 139 m - Road junction
  11. 10 : km 10.42 - alt. 141 m - Fork
  12. 11 : km 11.14 - alt. 132 m - Edge of the forest
  13. 12 : km 11.66 - alt. 146 m - Fork near the water tower.
  14. S/E : km 12.29 - alt. 148 m - Car park near the village hall.

Notes

No water source.

Worth a visit

Mont-Saint-Éloi Abbey.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 2 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 7042238

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I went on this hike for the first time this morning with my dog walking group. The dogs had a blast rolling around in the mud, chasing each other and swimming. I loved the fact that it was 100% nature (woods and fields) with very little town. There is a bit of a climb but nothing insurmountable. However, I would advise against going during hunting season as there is a lot of private property in the area.

Machine-translated

souchez rando
souchez rando

Thank you for your feedback. I try to offer you beautiful hikes in Pas-de-Calais and elsewhere. It's nice to receive positive feedback.

Machine-translated

aned
aned

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I will do it again.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.