From La Neuville-Roy to Beaupuits

The starting point is in front of the town hall, which is situated at the junction of Rue de Paris, Rue Pennelier and Rue Verte.

(S/E) Take Rue Pennellier (D152) to the end of the village and turn left into Rue du Jardin Brûlé.

(1) At the end, turn left onto a grassy path that runs alongside a brick wall. Continue straight on along Chemin des Blattiers, admiring the bell towers of Cressonsacq and Pronleroy on your left, and the village of La Neuville-Roy on your right.

(2) Cross Rue Verte, which leads to Pronlery, and carry on, keeping to the left, along the path until you reach Rue du Square d’Othelet. Turn left to return to the village of La Neuville-Roy. Walk past the police station and turn right into Rue de Beaupuits.

(3) After the last house, leave Rue de Beaupuits and take the path that continues straight on, just before the storm water basin. Continue to a junction where several paths meet. Carry on straight ahead to a willow hedge.

(4) NB: at elevation 85 (start of Rue de la Distillerie), the direct path heading north-east, shown on the IGN map, no longer exists following the last land consolidation.
Turn left onto the track and follow it eastwards (nice view of the bell tower in the hamlet of Beaupuits). Turn left at a right angle, continue to Rue de la Distillerie and carry on straight ahead to reach the junction with Rue de l’Épine.

(5) At the end of Rue de la Distillerie, turn left to head back towards La Neuville-Roy. A few hundred metres further on (about 280 m), take a path on the right which leads you behind the cemetery at La Neuville-Roy.

(6) Turn right onto the road, pass the Moulin à Boue and turn left onto Rue de la Vieuville until you reach Rue de la Libération. Turn left towards the roundabout. At the roundabout, turn right into Rue de Paris, then left into Rue des Brodeuses.

(7) Turn right onto Rue Verte and continue to the starting point at La Neuville-Roy church (S/E).

Places to eat in La Neuville-Roy: a café (closed on Tuesdays) on Rue Pennelier, a bakery (closed on Mondays) and a grocery shop (closed on Wednesdays) on Rue de Paris.

At the start, admire Saint-Médard Church and its calvary. What is the purpose of the small step on the plinth? Is it for kneeling to pray? Wrong – it’s for the priest to place his missal on.

On Rue Pennellier, the Pennellier house served as headquarters for the^135th Infantry Division during the Battle of Matz in 1918. A plaque flanked by two ‘poilus’ (First World War soldiers) recounts this episode.

On Rue du Jardin Brûlé stands the house of Dr Lachelin (former mayor).

Lovely views of the countryside, the villages of Pronleroy, Cressonsacq and Moyenneville, and, in the distance, the abbey church of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois.

In the hamlet of Beaupuits, the farm and Saint-Lucien Church (a detour off the main route) are well worth a visit.
All along the streets of La Neuville-Roy, admire the houses built from local stone.

At point (4), a possible alternative route: by going straight on and then turning left, you can take a detour to explore the hamlet of Beaupuits, then turn left onto Rue de l’Épine, which takes you back to point (5).