Canal, woods and ponds in Ploegsteert

Park at Place de la Rabecque in Ploegsteert.

(S/E) Join the N 365, Rue d’Armentières, and follow it south towards Armentières.
After a good hundred metres, turn right into Rue Sainte-Marie.
Ignore the road on the left and continue to a Fork in the road. Turn right onto Chemin des Alouettes. Pass a farm on the right and reach a T-junction near another farm.

(1) Turn left and, after 300 metres, you’ll reach another T-junction.
Then turn right onto a wide track, which is badly rutted after the farming work. After this difficult stretch, you’ll reach a small road.

(2) Turn left onto it; this is Chemin Mitoyen: Frontière. At the end, turn left, then immediately right onto Rue Clef de Hollande. You will reach the junction with Chemin du Pont de Nieppe.

(3) Turn left onto it; after the houses, the street becomes a good path and eventually joins Rue de la Lys.

(4) Continue straight ahead onto the Sentier de la Planche. Turn left before reaching a junction. Then turn right into Rue Albert Ier and join Rue Marc Sangnier. Follow it straight ahead, keeping an eye out for a small path branching off to the left.

(5) Follow this path to cross the lovely green space. Continue straight on for as long as possible, then turn right onto the boardwalk. At the end of the first section of boardwalk, turn right and join Avenue Léon Blum. (This section is difficult to describe, but the OpenStreetMap world map is very precise).
On 24 November 2023, the water was very high and lapped at the planks, giving the impression of walking on water: not unpleasant!
Cross the avenue to take the path opposite for about 50 m until you reach a fork in the road.

(6) Then turn left to reach a lovely pond (Étang Bleu), which you walk around (I went to the right, but you can, of course, do the opposite).
Back at the Fork in the road, turn left, continue through the green space and join Rue des Marronniers. Follow it for a few metres to the left before turning right onto a good path that goes behind the houses, then runs alongside the cemetery. Reach the southern end of the cemetery.

(7) Turn right, pass the cemetery entrance and, a few metres further on, turn left into a small lane. You’ll soon reach Rue Denis Cordonnier; follow it straight on until you reach a T-junction.

(8) Turn right. A little further on, turn right again and finally take a sharp left to cross the Canal via the beautiful Pont Bayard, which is closed to traffic. At the end of the bridge, head down to the left to join the towpath and find the^GR®® 121B.
Then follow the Canal eastwards to the^fourth bridge, not counting the Pont Bayard. After the lock, the path becomes wooded and very pleasant.

(9) Go under this bridge, then turn immediately right to join the D-road. Follow it to the right to cross the Canal. Continue along this road, keeping to the left-hand pavement, until you reach a Fork in the road.
Turn right and continue until you reach the ponds.

(10) Turn onto the path on the right to pass between the ponds. At the end of the ponds, turn left and join a small road.

(11) Follow it briefly to the right, then turn left into Rue de la Briqueterie – there are boats on the right – and continue to a T-junction opposite a pond.
Turn right to walk alongside the pond, stay on the small road, Chemin du Bon Coin, to reach the main road.

(12) Take the lovely path on the left (barrier) and join the road.
Then turn left to go under the ring road; be careful here: this is a rather unpleasant stretch with cars and lorries, but it’s short. Just after the bridge, turn right and cross the slip road to join a small road. Be careful here: above all, do not take the slip road.

(13) Follow this small road to the right. Pass in front of a farm and, shortly afterwards, take the road on the left. Pass a junction, ignore a road on the left and reach another junction.

(14) Then take the lovely path on the left. At the junction, carry straight on, then ignore the road on the left; there’s a view of a pretty pond on the left. You’ll reach the military cemetery. Walk to the memorial.

(15) Turn left to walk alongside the cemetery, then cross the remains of trenches and join a wide path.

(16) Follow it to the right; this is the^GRP®® Monts des Flandres, heading towards the Bois de Ploegstert.
Ignore the paths branching off to the left into the woods and continue straight on along the^GRP®® to reach the N365.

(17) Follow it for a few metres to the left before turning right into Rue du Petit Pont. Follow this road until you find a path on the right with a gate. Take this slippery path which climbs steeply into the woods. At the top, on leaving the woods, you will find a path through the fields (very wet on 24 November: water up to the tops of your shoes in places) which joins a wide track. Follow this track to the left and you will reach a T-junction. Turn left here to head back down a rather slippery path into the woods. You will reach the junction with Rue du Petit Pont.

(18) Take Chemin Plugstreet 3 opposite. Continue along Chemin des Vaches. You will then reach the N 365. Follow it to the right and return to the car park at Place de la Rabecque (S/E).

Please note: difficult sections after (2) and after (17). So make sure you wear suitable footwear. Walking sticks are also a good idea.
(10) Note here: there is a path on the left leading to the largest pond.
(11) Just past the pond is a lovely picnic area, and the spot is charming.

Christmas Truce Monument
Christmas Truce