Trail along the little paths of Houdain via Mont de la Comté

Admittedly, the trail may seem a little monotonous, but what a beautiful path! It takes you gently up to the heights before dropping back down into the valley to climb Mont de la Comté.
And at the end of the trail, the church awaits you.

Technical sheet

402211
Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 23.86 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 293 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 285 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 183 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 50 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start: Houdain, small car park at the entrance to Rue du 19 mars 1962.

(S/E) Take the D341 (Rue de la Gare) towards Divion, cross the Lawe. Ignore Rue des Tourbières and turn left into the small road just beyond. Turn right and join Rue du Sergent Magrot, which you follow to the left. Climb the staircase and continue straight ahead to reach a 2nd set of stairs which should not be climbed.

(1) When you reach the staircase, turn left and follow it for over 5km, passing Beugin, la Comté, then Bajus.

(2) At Bajus station, continue straight ahead, still on the cavalier, through the Petit Bois de Houdain to reach a crossroads where you will find the GR® 127 (white and red markings).

(3) Leave the path and follow the GR® to the left. At the crossroads, take the wide track opposite and follow it to a reservoir.

(4) Leave the GR® and continue straight ahead. After 400m, take the track on the left and reach a T-junction. Turn right. At the next junction, go straight ahead (ponds on the left) and reach another T. Turn right again to reach a small road.

Follow it to the left, cross the Lawe and join the D86. Enter Magnicourt-en-Comté. Follow the D86 opposite and, a few metres further on, leave it to take the road opposite. Cross a stream.

(6) Turn right into the 1 road. At the farmhouse, turn left and follow this wide track up to the heights of La Comté. Ignore the side roads. It's a long climb, but not too difficult, and deer often cross paths. Reach the D74.

(7) Follow the road for a few metres, to the left, before taking the wide track opposite. At the T-junction, turn right, then immediately left to enter the steeply-sloping undergrowth (stones, limestone, beware especially in wet weather).

At the fork, take either right or left (perhaps easier on the right?). At the end of the wood, join a wide track which leads downhill to the D86. Follow it to the right, and at the stop sign, turn left and cross the Lawe.

Turn right towards the stadium. Turn right to join the Lawe and follow its banks. At the end of the road, turn left, passing behind the cage to reach the stadium entrance. Turn right into Rue du Moulin. Cross the Lawe again (lovely waterfall) to reach the D86. After 200m, turn left uphill to reach a crossroads. Go straight ahead on the GR® and continue for 100m.

(9) Take the path on the left. This beautiful downhill path (difficult in wet weather) veers to the right and reaches a crossroads. Continue straight ahead, slightly uphill, on fresh tarmac. 200m further on, turn left to join the Chaussée Brunehaut.

(10) Follow it to the right, then take the 1st° path on the left, which bends to the left before joining the tarmac, near a large shed.

(11) Turn right onto the track and continue as far as La Brette. Follow it to the right, cross it (footbridge) and immediately turn left.

(12) Come to a 2nd footbridge, which you must not cross. Follow the Brette (on the right bank) to reach the Rue du Château, which you should follow until you reach the D341. Turn slightly right into a small street which soon becomes a footpath. Continue uphill (steeply) to reach the tarmac near the D01 (large roundabout).

(13) Turn left, go straight on (do not go towards the roundabout). At fork, go straight ahead (Rue du Bois des Tours). Shortly afterwards, turn left into the woods on a good path. You'll soon come to a fork in the road, where you turn left onto a smaller path. At the next fork, turn left again towards the church. The path runs alongside the road, then bends to the right to reach a crossroads. Turn left towards the house and join Rue du Bois des Tours. Follow this to the left and you'll reach Rue Jean Jaurès.

(14) Cross it (be careful!) and take the small street opposite. At the crossroads, turn left and drive down to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 50 m - Small car park on Rue du 19 Mars. Close to the - Lawe (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.58 - alt. 59 m - Opposite the 2nd staircase, left on the horse rider
  3. 2 : km 6.09 - alt. 120 m - Former Bajus station
  4. 3 : km 7.6 - alt. 145 m - Crossing with GR
  5. 4 : km 9.62 - alt. 141 m - Tank
  6. 5 : km 11.45 - alt. 93 m - Bridge over the Lawe
  7. 6 : km 11.82 - alt. 93 m - Right after the stream
  8. 7 : km 13.71 - alt. 176 m - Crossing with D 74
  9. 8 : km 16.35 - alt. 79 m - Stadium entrance
  10. 9 : km 18.59 - alt. 129 m - Path on the left
  11. 10 : km 20.82 - alt. 74 m - Chaussée Brunehaut
  12. 11 : km 21.59 - alt. 60 m - Hangar
  13. 12 : km 21.99 - alt. 54 m - Opposite the 2nd footbridge - Brette (rivière) - Affluent de la Lys
  14. 13 : km 22.69 - alt. 111 m - Near the D 301 and the large roundabout
  15. 14 : km 23.44 - alt. 74 m - Intersection with Rue Jean Jaurès
  16. S/E : km 23.86 - alt. 50 m - Small car park Rue du 19 Mars

Practical information

Quite a long hike, so good shoes are a must, especially in winter. One or two sticks aren't a bad idea either.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
joorange
joorange

Although I too don't find this walk very difficult, the app would never classify it as average.
But with the weather forecast to be very wet over the next few days, there's no doubt that the difficulty will increase.

As far as the villages are concerned, I generally do my best to avoid them (even if it means extending the distance).

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herveludivine
herveludivine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely walk with some nice little climbs. Beautiful views all along the way. It's a shame we don't pass through enough villages.
At the Shire, I was disappointed not to be able to take a photo near the Hobbit house. There's a lovely water mill there.
On the other hand, would you classify it as difficult? The length perhaps?

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JeremK
JeremK

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very interesting route.
The start is clearly not very enchanting: you walk along a busy street, cut through a housing estate and then walk along a road with less traffic (which you can follow below in a greener setting).
Once you leave the road, however, the setting is much nicer, a tunnel of greenery leading into a long wood where you can rest on the banks of the Lawe.
A few kilometres further on you come to the stadium, which has been the subject of several comments. The local authority has now installed permanent access, so it's no longer a problem.

The short detour to La Comté is very refreshing, with its reproduction of a Hobbit's house, its mill and its waterfalls.

Make sure you have good shoes, as some of the muddy gradients are technical, but I imagine that in dry weather they'll make things a lot easier.

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dom62
dom62

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

parish specific to Brittany, a beautiful circuit, a little monotonous at the start along the old railway line.but very pleasant afterwards.bring good shoes.

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Delgérie
Delgérie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very beautiful route. The old railway line forms a long tunnel of vegetation, which must be particularly pleasant in summer. The route passes through places that offer magnificent views of the Artois hills. There is very little tarmac, which is appreciated. There are a few muddy stretches, which is normal at this time of year and with the rain of the previous few weeks. Loop completed in 5? hours without getting worked up. Best done early in the morning or late in the afternoon for those who want to watch the wildlife (the animals are out and about and there are fewer people to disturb them).
Do it again

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nenefanfan
nenefanfan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pretty, undulating route alternating between woods, paths and villages, with the old railway track a little long but pleasant in warm weather. We spotted a doe and 2 youngsters at point 7. 5 hours 15 minutes. Patrick and René

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joorange
joorange

There was a nasty surprise this morning. It's still possible to enter the sports field at point 8, then walk along the Lawe, but it's now impossible to leave via the north gate.
It would appear that walking is not a major concern for the Mairie de La Comté (we're on a signposted route here!). A house was even built on another route a few years ago.

For pleasure, you can always enter the sports field and turn right to join the Lawe and walk alongside it. At the very end, turn left to reach a "superb" fence. Follow it to the left to find an exit onto Rue du Château, which you follow to the right. At the T-junction, turn right into Rue du Moulin.

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joorange
joorange

I'm surprised to see this prohibition sign at point 8.
The passage through the sports ground is part of the signposted "Haute Vallée de la Lawe" walk, so this part is perfectly signposted, but in the other direction.
I therefore think that this prohibition can be ignored.

As for roe deer, I haven't seen any in this area for a long time. But a squirrel is good enough, because they're becoming rarer and rarer. I've seen them on the old railway line.

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Rando59223
Rando59223

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Magnificent hike on 10 October.
Despite the rain of the previous few weeks, the paths were not very muddy.
The bridleway is monotonous because of its length and straight line, but there is plenty of shade, so it must be pleasant in very hot weather.
As for crossing the La Comté stadium (point 8), there is a chain with a sign that says "forbidden to the public" at the entrance, in which case you should continue along rue du Château, turn right and resume the walk at the main entrance to the stadium.
Points 6 to 7: At the top of the steep road, there's a lovely view over the valley.
The description says that you can spot roe deer between points 6 and 7, but all I saw was a squirrel crossing the road 2 metres in front of me.

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tontonyo
tontonyo

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Walked today. Very pleasant despite the length of the path on the old railway line, which means it's almost straight. As for the passage towards the La Comté sports ground, if it's the one I saw, it seems to be closed off by a fence (it seems to serve as an entrance to the house just over the bridge). A few dozen metres further on, there's an entrance to the stadium, so no problem there. On leaving the stadium, I found the Hobbits' house but no trace of them (it's July, they must have gone on holiday ). Thank you Joorange for this route.

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joorange
joorange

I passed through La Comté this morning.

Just after the bridge, there's still an open passageway (quite narrow, so be careful) into the sports field.

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joorange
joorange

This is surprising, as 2 short hiking trails (Haute Vallée de la Lawe and Folie de La Comté) use this passage.
But local councillors sometimes make astonishing decisions!

I'll take a look.

Luckily for you, we're in a very dry period, as the Lawe is quite wide at this point.

And, as Brel said, "l'aventure commence à l'aurore de chaque matin".

All the best.

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AstridRegis62
AstridRegis62

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 17, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant walk with beautiful views.
The description is very detailed.
Note that we did the walk on Thursday 16 August and that at La Comté (point 8 on the map), we couldn't get out at the sports hall because a barrier that couldn't be crossed had been installed with a lock....so we had to ford the Lawe... a bit of an adventure!

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Pierre Bourré
Pierre Bourré

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful walk with varied scenery.

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VAN DE WOESTYNE
VAN DE WOESTYNE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 18, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant walk with no difficulties despite heavy thundery rain. Fortunately, we found a shelter and the route and description were very detailed. At the end of the route from the church in Houdain we were unable to find the right itinerary.

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