Route of the Four Churches starting from Ferrière-la-Petite

Starting point: Ferrière-la-Petite town hall square.

(S/E) From the square, go round the town hall on the right and pass in front of the Cour des Potiers museum. Turn left then right into Rue de l’Église. At the end, head down Rue d’Obrechies on the left. At the crossroads, turn right onto Rue Max Dormoy. Pass Rue Denise on your left and continue straight on along Rue de Quiévelon.

(1) At the Fork in the road, leave the tarmac road and head straight on along a dirt track: rural track 202, known as the ‘Haies’. Note the occasional rocky outcrops. Follow the yellow markings carefully. Cross the stream (elevation 146).

(2) At the three-way junction, follow the tarmac road to the left. At the three-way junction, turn right and follow this road for about 600m.

(3) Head down the path on the right that runs alongside the Bois Cahieu. At the junction with the Cahieu path, continue straight ahead and cross the Bois Monsieur.
NOTE: do not leave the marked path, as the woods are private property.

(4) On leaving the woods, continue straight on along Rue de Maubeuge. At the junction, turn right down Rue de Colleret.

(5) At the junction, turn right towards the village of Quiévelon. Pass a path on your left, then two dead-ends. Walk past the grotto – a replica of the one in Lourdes.

(6) At the junction by the church dating from 1300, head left up the Grande Rue and ignore the side roads.

(7) At the fork in the road, ignore the first path on the left and take the second on the left, Rue du Mesnil (south-east). Walk between hedges and bushes, passing the imposing Mesnil farm on your right. Continue along a sunken path lined with ash trees.

(8) At the three-way junction, turn right twice. Pass Chemin du Mesnil on your right and follow the road for 750m along the edge of the woods.

(9) As you come out of the woods, turn right. When the road bends to the right, take the dirt track opposite, running alongside the Bois des Onze Bonniers. Head straight on (west), ignoring all the side paths. The track becomes a tarmac road that curves to the left.

(10) At the junction, head down the grassy path on the right towards the ford over the Carnoye stream, which you cross to climb up to a road.

(11) Turn left for 50m then turn left again onto Rue du Grand Chemin. Continue for 500m then turn left onto Rue du Fournil. Pass Chemin du Gard on your left.

(12) Head up the alleyway on the right between numbers 133 and 87. At the end, turn left. Pass the church and the square, leaving Rue du Cimetière on your right.

(13) Turn left and leave Rue des Juifs on your left. At the next junction, head down Rue du Moulin on the left.

(14) Take the first right, Rue de la Gare (follow the yellow markings carefully). Cross the Solre, keep to the right and cross the old railway line (greenway). Continue right along Rue de la Gare.

(15) At the Fork in the road, turn right onto Rue d'Obrechies towards the village of Damousies. Pass the church, built around 1300, on your left in a small square.

(16) Cross the D27 (take care) and first turn right then left. Pass Place Léon Couture on your right and continue straight on along Rue de l’Arbrisseau. Pass a path and then a dead-end on your right.

(17) At the junction, continue straight ahead onto Chemin d’Hautmont. Ignore a path branching off to the left and continue north-west for about 2 km.

(18) At the junction, by the high-voltage pylon, turn right onto a road (Rue de Beaufort). Pass through the hamlet of La Taverne des Fouées (site of former quarries). Continue along the road, passing the Raidmont Farm and Château.

(19) Cross the D27 with care. Follow the Chemin de Beaufort straight ahead. When you reach the road, turn right. Pass Rue Robert Gilbert on your right. Shortly afterwards, take the greenway on the right. After about 250m, turn left and then immediately left again onto Impasse Léo Lagrange. At the junction, head up to the right and, at no. 45, take a path lined with pollarded lime trees. At the end, turn left and you will reach the town hall of Ferrière-la-Petite (S/E).

Route listed in the PDIPR (Departmental Plan for Walking and Hiking Routes).

Follow the yellow markings.

Short alternative route, 14 km:
Follow the description of the main route. After the (14), turn right onto the Voie Verte de l’Avesnois, cross the Route de Damousies – take care – then turn right at the site of a former quarry. Follow Impasse Léo Lagrange.
Follow the signposting carefully. Head up to the right and, at No. 45, take the path lined with pollarded hornbeams; at the end, you’ll reach the town hall of Ferrière-la-Petite.

Ferrière-la-Petite Town Hall: an 18th-century building that served as the residence of the Lords of Bousies until the Revolution and was subsequently passed on to Louis Gossuin, brother of the Convention member.

Museum of the Potters’ Court.

Ferrière-la-Petite Church: a 15th-century building dedicated to Saint Médard and remodelled in 1843.

Eco-cycle stop.