Marsh trail around Biache - Saint-Vaast

Hiking through the marshes of Biache - Saint-Vaast, Plouvain Roeux and Pelves.

Technical sheet

1870
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.10 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 8 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 8 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 52 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 44 m

Photos

Description of the walk

From the Arras Douai national road at Fresnes- lès- Montauban, follow signs for Biache - Saint-Vaast. In the centre of Biache, turn right into Rue Clemenceau. At the end of this, turn left into Rue de la Commune de Paris and, 200m further on, take the small street immediately after a bridge over the Rivierette. Park in the car park 300-400m further on.

(S/E) From the car park, turn left and follow the path alongside the ponds. This path will turn left at 90° after 200-300 m.

(1) Continue for the same distance and take the first track on the right (Chemin du Petit Marais). Continue along this path until you reach a junction with the D42E2 asphalt road. Turn left at the edge of the Scarpe river.

(2) Turn right, then pass under the Autoroute des Anglais (A26) and continue to the former loading dock of the Carrière de Roeux (now the Lac Bleu).

(3) Follow the path along the docks. After the wooden gate at the site exit, take the street on the left towards Roeux, where you'll arrive via Rue du Marais.
In Roeux, turn left into Rue Henri Robert.

(4) Turn left into Rue du 19 Mars 1962, which you follow to the post office. Turn left towards Monchy-le-Preux, Pelves
.
(5) Just after the bridge over the Scarpe, take the towpath on the left and continue along this path towards the Biache - Saint-Vaast locks. On this towpath, you will again pass under the A26 freeway and then the loading docks of the former Pelves chalk quarry.

(6) At the Biache locks, turn left over the bridge over the Scarpe and continue straight on towards the town centre for a few hundred metres. Turn left into the second street (Rue Poincaré). Then turn left into Rue du 19 Mars 1962,
pass a stadium, do not take the right-hand street (Rue de la Commune de Paris), but continue straight on for a further hundred metres.

(7) Turn right into the 'Impasse du Marais' ('Marsh dead end') and follow the main pond of the Marais de Biache along Chemin de la Rivierette.
At the end of this path, turn left for thirty meters. You're now at the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 44 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.48 - alt. 44 m - Biache Marsh
  3. 2 : km 1.54 - alt. 45 m - Edge of the - Scarpe (rivière)
  4. 3 : km 3.07 - alt. 46 m - Blue Lake
  5. 4 : km 4 - alt. 48 m - Rue du 19 Mars
  6. 5 : km 4.66 - alt. 51 m - Bridge over the Scarpe
  7. 6 : km 8.89 - alt. 49 m - Biache Saint Vaast locks
  8. 7 : km 9.7 - alt. 44 m - Impasse du Marais
  9. S/E : km 10.1 - alt. 44 m - Car park

Practical information

If it recently rained, some parts may be muddy.
Many birds can be seen in the marshes and on the Scarpe: heron, bittern, kingfisher, osprey, wild swans, numerous duck species, wild geese.
At dusk, many bats can be seen hunting above the Scarpe.
Don't hesitate to bring your binoculars.

In the nearby area

Lac Bleu at Roeux.
You can walk along one of its banks.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
JMDELIEGE
JMDELIEGE

Thank you for your opinion

Automatically translated

Marc defontaine
Marc defontaine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A beautiful walk between woods and towpaths. Easy to follow

Automatically translated

MKnol
MKnol

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pretty, very natural walk. It avoids the fields and is often in the shade. In short, it's very cool when it's hot!
A word of advice: take a bag with you to pick up litter. And there's quite a lot of it around the Lac Bleu, unfortunately...

Automatically translated

JMDELIEGE
JMDELIEGE

Thank you for your feedback.
Yours sincerely

Automatically translated

marcheursderoeux
marcheursderoeux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It's a lovely walk, rather muddy at the moment, but like most places.

Automatically translated

JMDELIEGE
JMDELIEGE

In spring and summer, you can't go round the Lac Bleu - you'll even be fined! The Gendarmerie keeps a close watch, especially at weekends.

Automatically translated

catdes
catdes

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Nice walk with a section around the blue lake

Automatically translated

JMDELIEGE
JMDELIEGE

Re bonjour, I don't see anywhere in the description a possibility of shortening to 8km. According to visirando, the walk is 10.1 km. At certain times you can add a "back and forth" along the Lac Bleu, which makes it a bit longer. You can also add a route to Boiry that goes round the old Pelves quarry, but that's about twenty kilometres!
Give me a screenshot of the information you've seen. Have a nice day

Automatically translated

dkasprzik
dkasprzik

Very nice circuit but I never found where to cut for the 8km circuit we were forced to do 11km I would like to know where to go for the 8km.
Thank you

If the 8km circuit does not exist, why put it on the document and in the title 8 11 and 17?
Please update and remove 8km
For the rest it was a very nice walk

Automatically translated

JMDELIEGE
JMDELIEGE

There is no way to shorten the journey except by swimming across the canal, but this is not recommended! On the other hand, it is possible to lengthen the journey by making a diversion via Pelves on the Boiry road along the Pelves quarry.

Automatically translated

dkasprzik
dkasprzik

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Very nice circuit but I never found where to cut for the 8km circuit we were forced to do 11km I would like to know where to go for the 8km.
Thank you

Automatically translated

Papy-Rene
Papy-Rene

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A hike to be repeated in spring when the paths are less muddy.
Nevertheless, it's a pleasant walk.

Automatically translated

MagDalie
MagDalie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 31, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I loved it! A walk between nature and water, exactly what I was looking for...
It was soothing, really very pleasant, thank you very much!

Automatically translated

JMDELIEGE
JMDELIEGE

Thank you very much for your feedback

Automatically translated

manade59
manade59

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice walk that started out cool along the marshes and then a little warmer along the banks of the Scarpe. The return journey through the village was less attractive, but at the end of the 10km we were glad to find the coolness of the ponds to rest a little before heading back.
The walk is well described and the itinerary is easy to follow.

Automatically translated

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.