Hermonville-Bouconville

White and red^GR®®145markings

(S) From your bivouac site, continue along Rue de la Fontaine towards the north-west and start climbing Rue de la Grève (no entry except for residents). Continue to the right-hand bend.

(1) Turn left (west-southwest) across the fields, then walk along a vineyard on your left until you reach a fork in the road. Continue straight ahead through the vineyard until you reach a crossroads at the edge of a wooded area.

(2) Continue straight ahead on the stony path, following the vineyard on your left, until you reach the boundary marker at the crossroads.

(3) Take the path opposite that runs through the wheat field, heading north-west, then, after a sharp left turn, continue south-west until you reach the signpost.

(4) Turn right (north), pass a cross and, after a left-hand bend, continue to the intersection. You are now at Bellevue, the highest point of the stage.

(5) Turn right to the northeast towards the Bois de Chalmet. Walk along the edge on your right before entering the woods to begin the descent. Walk down to the crossroads.

(6) Continue north-east on the path on the right and continue until you leave the woods and return to the vineyards. Continue to the crossroads.

(7) Keep heading north-east to descend into the vineyard. At the fork, take the right-hand path and descend to the T-junction.

(8) Turn left, staying on the tarmac path, and descend to Rue du Bois de Pré in the village of Cormicy.

(9) Turn right and continue to the stop sign at the junction with the D32. You can stock up on supplies at the Intermarché supermarket by turning left onto the D32.

(10) Turn right, pass the pharmacy, then follow the signs for Aguilcourt on Rue de la Porte au Bourg. You will arrive at Place d'Armes in front of the town hall and the Church of Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte. Continue to the crossroads behind the church.

(11) Turn left towards the cemetery on Rue Porte à la Barre and stay on this street until you reach the cemetery.

(12) At the north-western end of the cemetery, turn left onto the road that runs alongside the field on your right. At the stop sign, cross the D530 carefully and continue across the vast cultivated plain, heading north-west. Continue to the crossroads.

(13) Continue in the same direction until you reach a crossroads, about ten metres before a pumping station.

(14) Turn right to the north-east onto the path bordering the Marne and Aisne rivers. You will arrive at another pumping station.

(15) Keep going in the same direction until you reach the stop sign in the hamlet of Moscou in the village of Berry-au-Bac.
(16) Turn left onto the D530, then at the stop sign, turn left onto Rue du Colonel Vergezac. At the intersection with the D1140, turn left towards Gernicourt and continue to the Berry-au-Bac National Necropolis.

(17) After visiting this memorial site, retrace your steps and continue left onto Rue du Colonel Vergezac, going to the bridge over the Canal Latéral de l'Aisne and Berry-au-Bac Lock No. 3.

(18) Cross the Canal Latéral de l'Aisne and continue on the D1044 to the Berry-au-Bac bridge over the Aisne.

(19) Cross the Aisne to enter the village of Berry-au-Bac. You can buy refreshments at the bakery. Continue to the café-bar-tobacconist's, then turn right onto Rue de l'Ancienne Place (one-way street). Turn left onto Rue Vigneron and continue to the church. Turn right onto Rue des Écoles. At the stop sign, continue straight ahead until you reach the crossroads.

(20) Turn left heading north. At the stop sign, continue straight ahead on Rue Jean Ragaine. Stay on this street to leave the village and arrive in front of rows of trees hiding ponds on both sides of the road.

(21) Continue north across the fields until you reach the give way sign at the junction with the D925.

(22) Cross carefully and continue straight ahead on the grassy path that leads to the woods in the Grands Marais area.

(23) Keep to the right to skirt the Grands Marais on your left and continue to the fork.

(24) Keep heading north and continue along the edge of the woods on your left until you reach the crossroads.

(25) Turn left, cross the Ruisseau de la Miette stream and continue north-west along the wire fence of the water treatment plant until you reach a fork.

(26) Turn right to the north-west, following the fence to enter the village of Juvincourt-et-Damary. Continue to the stop sign at the junction with the D89.

(27) Turn left onto Rue de la Ville aux Bois, pass a small chapel and continue to the sign marking the exit of the village of Juvincourt.

(28) Turn right onto Rue de la Ville aux Bois, heading north-west, and continue across the fields until you reach a T-junction. Turn right and continue until you reach the junction with the D62.

(29) Turn left and walk along a wire fence on your right. Continue along the tarmac road until you reach a crossroads in front of a wooded area.

(30) Continue straight on the D62 until you reach an intersection with a path on the left.

(31) Continue along this long straight stretch until you reach the signpost indicating the direction of Azur ULM.

(32) Ignore this direction and continue on the D62 until you enter the village of Corbeny. Continue to the stop sign at the intersection with the D1064. Refuelling is available at a convenience store on the left.

(33) Turn right onto Route de Reims and continue to the roundabout in front of Corbeny church.

(34) Turn left towards Chemin des Dames on the D18CD. Pass the Town Hall and continue to the fork.

(35) Turn right towards Bouconville-Vauclair on the D62. Leave the village of Corbeny and, staying on the road, cross the Corbeny woods until you reach the intersection with a path on a right-hand bend.

(36) Stay on the road and continue through the forest until you reach the sign for Forêt Domaniale de Vauclair.

(37) Continue along the road, following the edge of the woods on your left, until you reach the junction with the D19.

(38) Turn right, following the signs for Bouconville-Vauclair and Abbaye de Vauclair. Stay on the road for about 200 metres until you reach the intersection with a forest road.

(39) Turn left (west-southwest) onto the forest road to cross the Vauclair Forest. Continue until you reach the junction with a^PR®® in the Bois Balet.

(40) Ignore this path and continue in the same direction on Chemin du Roi until you reach the intersection in Bois de Cuissy.

(41) Stay on the forest road to cross the Bois de Cuissy, where you can see the Arbre du Général Cuif, a pedunculate oak planted around 1700. Continue to the junction with the^GR®®12.

(42) Turn left (south-west) and continue on the D886 until you reach the entrance to the Abbaye de Vauclair park (E), where you can find a secluded spot to camp by turning right and following the western bank of the Étang des Moines.

Supplies available at an Intermarché supermarket in Cormicy (9) and a Proximarché supermarket in Corbeny (33)
Bivouac: no campsite. Look for a place to camp around the Etang des Moines lake opposite Vauclair Abbey.
Hike completed by the author on 16 May 2024.

(17) Berry-au-Bac National Necropolis
(E) Vauclair Abbey and its medicinal garden