Circular walk between Nogent-l’Artaud and La Chapelle-sur-Chézy

Start from Nogent-l’Artaud-Charly station. Access:
- By train: Transilien line P, between Paris-Est and Château-Thierry.
- By car: park in the station car park.

(S/E) From the station, head towards the Grande Rue, turn left and walk up it. At the ‘Stop’ sign, carry on straight ahead and cross the main road.

(1) Turn immediately right onto Rue Gallien, then left onto the narrow Rue de la Chênée. This street becomes Rue des Gravelles and continues to climb gently, winding its way between the detached houses.

(2) After the last houses, enter the forest, then cross the Dhuys Aqueduct, before reaching some enclosures with high fences (deer farm). You’ll arrive at the Ferme des Gravelles.

(3) Walk past the farm and, immediately at the crossroads, take the correct path on the left. Follow it until you reach a fork. Leave the main path, which turns right, and take the narrow track on the left until you reach the edge of the woodland.

(4) Then turn right and follow the path running alongside the woodland, with fields on your right. The path continues through natural woodland, plantations and fields before reaching the Fermes du Mesnil.

(5) Pass the first farm on your left, turn right onto the road before the second farm, then immediately left onto the main tarmac road. Carry on, cross the D11 and continue straight ahead to the hamlet of Mesnil-Haut.

(6) As you enter the hamlet, first follow a large fenced-off property, then the road which bends to the left. At the crossroads, turn right onto the main road lined with detached houses. After the last house, at the crossroads, turn left and follow the small tarmac road to the Grands Chenets farm.

(7) Take the path on the right just after the farm and follow it to the Meule farm, which you’ll reach after joining a small tarmac road. Walk past the farm, then continue straight ahead onto the dirt track leading to La Tétoie.

(8) Carry on along the small tarmac road. You’ll reach the D16, which you take to the right for about 250 m.

(9) As you come out of a gentle right-hand bend, there is a sort of small clearing on the left with tracks left by vehicles. Follow these tracks, cross the wetland area of the Ru de Vergis and veer slightly to the right to find the path, which is barely marked at first and heads due east. (This area can be very wet depending on the weather conditions.) Carry on until you come to a very good path, which you take on the left (heading north). Walk past a clearing on your right, home to a pheasant farm, and continue straight on.

(10) Cross the embankment of the Étang des Houssois, leave the forest and continue along this path through the fields, bordered by the power line. When you reach the D862, cross it and continue straight ahead. At the crossroads, take the path on the right, walk alongside the football pitch and arrive at the village. Turn right, go round the church on the right to reach the picnic area. Behind the church, there is a large table and two benches by a small pond opposite the monument.

(11) After a break, if you wish, join a cross-road, follow it to the left and then turn right, heading north along the main road (D15) which passes in front of the cemetery. Continue to the highest point of the road.

(12) Turn left onto the path that crosses the fields before entering a small wood, which it passes through. You’ll come out onto a main track; take it to the right. Do not head towards the houses in the hamlet of Bruxelles, but continue for about 150 m northwards.

(13) Turn left due west onto a track that cuts through the fields, veers to the right, then more or less follows the boundary between the woodland and the fields, which is in more or less good condition. After walking alongside the woodland for about 1.5 km, having passed a ridge and begun to descend, you’ll reach a clearly marked corner where the fields meet the woodland at a right angle.

(14) Opposite, at this corner, a forest track leads down into the woodland (heading north-west). Continue along this track (which may be damp in places), which veers north before curving back towards the north-west, continuing to descend as it cuts diagonally across the contour lines. On emerging from the woodland, you’ll come to some vineyards.

(15) Turn right onto the path, which improves, and follow the vineyards down to the Crochet district via the aptly named Rue des Vignes. Continue along the street, which bends to the left, to join the D86 opposite the silos of a factory.

(16) Turn left, heading west, and make your way towards the village centre until you reach Rue des Écoles, which turns right (also signposted ‘Ruines de l’abbaye’). Carry on to the ruins, which can only be seen from the outside, from the cul-de-sac in front of the school.

(17) Retrace your steps and continue along Rue des Écoles. Turn right into the first street, which joins Impasse Kerouartz; turn left onto this.

(18) Turn right to visit the rather beautiful church in Nogent and follow the narrow lane in front of the church, which leads onto the Grande Rue. Turn right and, retracing your steps, return to the station (S/E).

Generally very good paths, but do wear good walking boots as two sections may be muddy in wet weather or after a spell of damp conditions.

Refreshments available in Nogent-l’Artaud (mini-market, bakery, etc.).