Lac du Héron and Forest-sur-Marque

Part of the GR®121B, east of Lac du Héron, hiking in the Val de Marque.
Car park and starting point at the square, Place de l'Église, in Forest sur Marque.

Technical sheet

3754
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.72 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

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

  • ▲
    Highest point: 32 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 22 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) Start at Place de l'Eglise in Forest sur Marque.

Cross the main street and take the small "Chemin Frémeaux" opposite the church porch.
Turn right into Rue des Roloires. At the end of the street, turn right into the lane parallel to Rue Ma Campagne. At the end of the alley, turn left onto the West-North-West road that leads into the countryside.

(1) Cross the small wooden bridge and follow the signs for "Lac du Héron pour les piétons", taking the left-hand path. At the end of the road, turn left, then right after 30m. Reach Lac du Héron

GR121B - Red and White markings

Follow the shoreline to the left (the lake will be on your right).
At the tip of the lake, the path joins another path, turn left, pass alongside the wastewater treatment plant (which will be on your right) towards "Forest sur marque".

(2) At the road turn left onto the pavement, cross the Marque (river). Take the first street on your right; it joins a path on the same axis that runs alongside the river.
Follow the path and the Marque, leaving the access road to the house on your left and continuing towards the B road; cross it (still the GR®121B and still along the Marque). Continue in the same direction, leaving a track on your left and crossing the railroad line and the main road until you come to the gate of a property.

Outside GR®121B - Red and White markings

(3) Leave the GR®121B on your left and go straight ahead on the path between property fences. At the end of the wooded area, turn left onto the small road, then right. Cross the property line and between the fences again.

GR121B - Red and White markings

(4) Turn left onto Rue du Général Leclercq.

Outside GR®121B - Red and White markings

(5) Turn right into Rue de Willems.
Leave this street at the end of the village, before the railway line, and turn right onto the dirt track. Follow to a crossroads and turn left onto a dirt track.
Follow to the railroad line, turn right before the level crossing, follow the railroad line to the village and the next level crossing.

(6) Cross the track by turning left and take the first left on the other side of the track: Rue Victor Hugo, at the end of the street turn left onto a track which bends slightly to the right, following the railroad line.
Continue along this road, passing a GAS filling station. Turn right before the forest, then left.

(7) At the entrance to the leisure park, turn right. Go straight on until you reach the main road.
Turn left, then left again at the next crossroads.

(8) Take the first track on the right, follow it and turn left at Pont de la Naue. At the crossroads, turn right through the Bois des Dix-Sept Bonniers.
Bear right and follow the main path: Chemin le Bas Marais, which becomes Rue de Moscou Prolongée then Rue de Moscou as you enter Forest sur Marque.
At the end of the street, turn slightly right into Sen de la Chapelle, then left into Sen de la Plage, then right into Place de l'Eglise (S/E) .

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 24 m - Place de l'Eglise
  2. 1 : km 0.94 - alt. 23 m - Crossing the - Marque (rivière)-à finaliser
  3. 2 : km 3.21 - alt. 25 m - Left-hand road
  4. 3 : km 5.23 - alt. 25 m - Path opposite
  5. 4 : km 6.33 - alt. 28 m - Street on the left
  6. 5 : km 6.95 - alt. 25 m - Street on the right
  7. 6 : km 8.88 - alt. 29 m - Crossing level crossings
  8. 7 : km 10.22 - alt. 24 m - Turn to the right
  9. 8 : km 11.32 - alt. 24 m - Path on the right
  10. S/E : km 14.72 - alt. 24 m - Place de l'Eglise

In the nearby area

Leisure centre "Des 6 Bonniers" in Willems.

 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

4.3 / 5
Based on 31 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Manou59700
Manou59700

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Part of the walk is on tarmac, which is the least interesting part. Otherwise, the route is not monotonous.

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astropote
astropote

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

super merci

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Meurant
Meurant

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

Route through undergrowth and across fields / one very muddy section due to previous months of rain / calm

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jacques urbain
jacques urbain

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Busy trail : No

.

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dsw
dsw

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

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Pierre Molin-Mabille
Pierre Molin-Mabille

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Thanks for this route, I had a great time... The walk is easy, with some tarmac sections, but as soon as you get away from the Parc du Héron, there are far fewer people...

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Boussekey Sylvie
Boussekey Sylvie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Very pleasant, but very busy on Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

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Terrier edith
Terrier edith

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

thank you

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Azboulette
Azboulette

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Nice hike, but near the Lac du Héron, we couldn't find the way. So we went in the opposite direction (the lake was on our left, not our right) and used the GPS on our phone.

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Rémi.S
Rémi.S

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk.
I did it in the rain the day after the "From Willems to the Parc du Heron": these 2 walks have a few paths in common.
Impossible to get lost with the help of the app's GPS.
Finished in 3? hours, including a lunch break at the Willems leisure centre where geese come to share your meal.
A real change of scenery.

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Bruno DEVIENNE
Bruno DEVIENNE

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It's a great way to discover a peaceful walk close to the Lille metropolitan area. The scenery is varied and you forget all about the big city. It's accessible to everyone, with no particular difficulties (9m difference in altitude!).

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MagDalie
MagDalie
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A hike done again this year, but without using the written description...
It's a really nice walk along the water for the whole of the first part (Lac du Héron then La Marque), followed by parts that are a little less charming but pleasant and peaceful (running alongside a railway line: not visually interesting but calm...). To finish in a very nice way again on the visual side 🙂
There's some tarmac, but to be honest I didn't mind.
A change compared to the route at the very beginning (I repeat that I only used the route on the map, not at all the description), because the path along the lake at one point is no longer accessible, there is now a fence all along which prevents being as close to the lake. so you have to take the path a little further away and along the Marque. But it's also very pleasant.
I did this walk at lunchtime during the week, so it's not very busy, but I think it's packed at weekends.
In any case, it's very pleasant, really. Thank you very much for sharing!

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Michel MDW
Michel MDW
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

I'm surprised at the positive comments in the description. Up to the 10th km, arriving at the Base de Loisirs de Willems (6), it was OK despite some approximations and a lack of visual landmarks (point 5, don't look for the level crossing, there isn't one, just turn right along the railway line).
Then I was unable to complete the walk. It was impossible to find the Naue bridge and none of the many walkers I met had heard of it. I took another route back to Forest.
In fact "(7) Turn left onto the main road, then left again"... Well, that takes you back to the leisure centre...
In short, I don't recommend it.

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postaire
postaire
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

On the outskirts of the northern metropolis, this much-frequented walk is a chance to discover some exceptional birdlife in a peri-urban environment. Grab your binoculars! You won't be disappointed as you walk around Lac du Héron.

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cemoi62
cemoi62

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant walk, taking in the beautiful scenery at a fairly leisurely pace, except at the start with the passage around Lac du Héron, which is sometimes too busy.

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