From Burbure to the Bois de Saint-Pierre

Park in the small car park at the entrance to Burbure when coming from Allouagne.

(S/E) Cross the A-road at the pedestrian crossing and, after a left/right turn, take the path heading south-west. 200 m further on, turn left and follow the path (which is sometimes rough) to a T-junction.

(1) Turn right, ignore a path on the right and continue the climb. At the top, turn right and carry on straight ahead to follow the northern edge of a small wood. Further on, take a right/left and reach a junction.
Continue straight ahead and reach the entrance (on the left) to the Terril de Burbure.

(2) Go through the gate and follow the main path to the left, ignoring the turn-offs to the right. You’ll reach a crossroads.

(3) Take the path furthest to the right and you will soon reach a clearing (top of the slag heap).

(4) A quick right/left turn takes you onto a fairly steep, descending path. Follow it until you reach a gate with a site map. After the gate, head left to join the D183E1 (clearly visible and audible).

(5) Cross it with great care to take the path opposite and head towards the water tower. Just before it, take the small path on the left, join the A-road and follow it to the left.
Turn into the second street on the right (Rue Clémenceau) and at the junction, turn right onto Rue du Bois. Shortly after the last houses, you will find a signpost with hiking arrows.

(6) Turn left to enter the Bois de Saint-Pierre, following the GR®145. When crossing the woods, follow the^GR®® markings carefully, as they are accurate (I followed them without any trouble, and I’m no expert on trail markings). On maps, the correct route can be found on OpenStreetMap Hiking (IGN is inaccurate).
Reach a crossroads where you turn right to reach the edge of the woods. Follow the edge and look for a post (somewhat hidden) on the left-hand side of the path with hiking arrows.

(7) Head right onto a very muddy path, then turn left twice. A little further on, you’ll come to a very steep climb. Shortly after the top, look for a signpost. Continue straight ahead, then turn right to reach a road.

(8) Cross it, take the path opposite (still the GR®) and follow the fence (on the right). The path turns right at a right angle. Ignore the small road on the left and reach a junction. Leave the GR® to take the road on the left and, after 200 m, reach a bus shelter (on the right).

(9) Turn right, squeezing between the bus shelter and some garages. You’ll immediately come to a gate. Continue straight on along the winding (very pleasant) path which leads to a second gate. Go through to reach the entrance to Ferfay cemetery. Head right and walk alongside the cemetery to reach a T-junction facing the plain.

(10) Turn left, and you’ll immediately find a path leading off to the right.

(11) See practical information. Follow this path (it used to be a bridle path, but I can no longer find any mention of it). The first part of this path is excellent but, in the event of heavy rain, the end can be quite muddy (the path is regularly ploughed). In the second section, pass through cultivated fields: a narrow but clear path (the worst bit is when you go straight after the land has been ploughed!). Reach a bridge, go under it and continue straight on along a very pretty grassy path (lovely view!). Reach a second bridge.

(12) Go under the bridge (a bit dark...) and continue straight on until you reach a T-junction. Turn right to head up the Ravin de la Scyrendale. This path, which used to be barely passable, was properly upgraded a few years ago and no longer poses any real problems. It’s in need of maintenance... Stay in the riverbed at all times (the banks have been raised). Go through the first barrier and continue uphill until you reach a wider path (barrier).

(13) Continue straight ahead, then turn left to reach a fork. Take the path on the left, then immediately right. A wide path joins the A-road. Follow it to the right until you reach the pedestrian crossing. Cross over and enter the housing estate. At the T-junction, cross the grassy area on the left and reach a right-hand bend.

(14) Take the path on the left. A little further on, turn left again to reach the D183E1.
Cross it with great care and take the path opposite. You’ll soon come to a three-way junction. Take the middle path (a lovely, steep, descending path) which eventually veers to the right to reach a T-junction. Take the road on the right towards the buildings. Just before the buildings, you’ll find the entrance to the Terril (impossible to miss given the size of the signs).

(15) Turn left to enter the site. Ignore the path on the right and continue straight on up the steep climb (see practical information). At the top, turn left to reach the exit and the junction you passed on the way there.

(2) Leave the site and take the grassy path opposite. Head down towards Burbure and ignore a path on the right. Shortly afterwards, you’ll reach the tarmac. After 100 m, look for a small path on the left (be careful, it’s easy to miss!).

(16) Follow this small path (barrier) which joins and runs alongside the sports ground. At the end, turn right and join the Marie-Anne Levis Path. Follow it to the left (stairs) and reach a T-junction.

(17) Turn right, then immediately left. After a few metres, turn right. At the end of the street, go down (watch out for the step) to reach the street below. Follow it to the left to reach Rue du Cavin.

(18) Take this street to the right, then immediately left into the alley (yellow markings which will take us back to the car park). Pass between the gardens and the stream (treacherous path: drainpipes are poorly buried). The path eventually turns right to cross the stream and reach a T-junction.

(19) Turn left. After 300 m, turn right. The path runs alongside Bois Fontaine and reaches a tarmac road. Follow it to the right to return to the car park (S/E).

Good walking shoes and walking poles are recommended.

Mid-March 2025: the path has just been ploughed, so it is strongly advised to use this alternative route. At point (11), you can stay on the road and take the first path on the right for about 1 km. At the junction, continue straight ahead and enter the mining settlement. The first street on the right (Rue des Mimosas) leads to a T-junction. Take the path on the right to rejoin the route described.

The bridge at point (12) is quite long and dark: a torch may be useful.

Shortly after the point (15), in the first part of the climb, there is a path on the right. You can extend the walk slightly by using the site map (which you’ll find in the ‘during the hike’ section) and the app (still in OpenStreetMap Hiking).
After about 500 m, on the left (at two Nordic walking arrows), there is a hairpin bend which, via a steep climb, leads back to the original path; follow this to the left to return to the point (2).

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