The Canche, the moorland and the Ravin des Cavernes

Town hall car park in Ligny-sur-Canche.

(S/E) With your back to the town hall, head left (D111) and turn immediately right into Rue du Marais. You’ll reach a T-junction.

(1) Take the road on the left, cross the Canche and you’ll reach a roundabout. Turn left towards Frévent. You’ll immediately come across a small ‘road’ on the right.

(2) Follow this until you reach a bridge over the old railway line.

(3) Just before the bridge, you’ll find a challenging flight of steps and a short, steep slope on the right leading to the old railway line (GRP®). Follow it to the right. Walk through Fortel-en-Artois to reach the D115.

(4) Cross it and carry on straight ahead, still following the old railway line (orchard; in August 2025, you’ll be walking through apple orchards). Follow it for 3 km until you reach a main track.

(5) Turn right onto it and head downhill to join a small road; follow this to the right. You’ll reach the entrance to Les Riez (sign for the Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels).

(6) Take the very grassy path on the left and you’ll reach a gate. Once you’ve gone through the gate, head straight ahead (up a small, rustic flight of steps) and climb up to reach a T-junction (above all, don’t stay near the wire fence!). Turn left and follow the well-marked but narrow path. By staying almost level on this path (you’re practically halfway up the slope), it’s easier to cross the moor without any real difficulty. Pass two gates before reaching the exit gate, after a short descent (all the gates are near the wire fence).

(7) Go through it and continue straight ahead across the grass to reach a wide track and the start of the Ravin des Cavernes. Head off to the right. At the first Fork in the road, turn right and, at the second, continue straight ahead. The path is reasonably clear. You’ll come to a blue sign.

(8) Head straight ahead: the slope gets steeper and you’ll need to weave your way between the fallen tree trunks. It’s a bit chaotic, but safe if you take your time. After a final steep climb, you’ll reach a wide track (there’s a rope on the right, which is more for reassurance than actually necessary).

(9) Follow it to the right until you reach the D116. Follow the D116 to the right until you reach the sign marking the entrance to the town of Boffles.

(10) Turn left onto a grassy track. It eventually curves to the right before reaching a small road.

(11) Follow it to the left. Immediately at the Fork in the road, keep to the left-hand track. About 300 m further on, in a bend, you’ll find a path that continues along the road.

(12) Take this path, pass a shed and reach a crossroads.

(13) Opposite, take Rue des Champs and follow it to a T-junction. Take the road on the left and continue to a junction with the D941 (just before the junction, there is a sandstone cross on the right).

(14) Turn right onto the D941 and, after about a hundred metres, you’ll come to a small road on the left. Follow it until you reach a Fork in the road and take the left-hand branch, continuing until you reach a T-junction.

(15) Turn right to join the D340. Cross it and take Rue du Bourg opposite for about a hundred metres until you reach a small square on the right. Turn right onto the footpath (be careful, it’s easy to miss!). Cross a branch of the Canche before arriving opposite the main channel. Cross via the small footbridge (GR® signposted) and carry on until you reach the church.

(16) Continue along the path that branches off to the right of the church (GR®) until you reach a T-junction. Turn right and, 50 metres further on, you’ll reach a Fork in the road.

(17) Turn right onto the GR®. 1 km further on, you’ll reach a Fork in the road by a pasture (on the right).

(18) Turn right onto a lovely path and reach a track opposite a house. Follow this lovely path to the right through the woodland, rejoin the Canche and arrive near a large house. The track, now tarmac (but you can walk on the right-hand side through the grass), joins Rue du Marais at a junction you’ve already passed on the way there.

(1) Follow it to the right and cross the Canche. Immediately afterwards, go through the gate on the left. You’ll come to a Fork in the road straight away. Turn left (if you find yourself facing a large metal footbridge, turn back – you’ve missed the Fork in the road!). Follow the Canche as closely as possible without ever crossing it (though there are plenty of wooden footbridges to help you cross all the ditches).You’ll come to a wayside cross before reaching the D111. Follow it to the left, cross the Canche again and you’ll arrive back at the town hall car park (S/E).

The path on the Rietz and the climb up the ravine are difficult. Wear good footwear and preferably take at least one walking stick.

One regret: access to the Riez is really poor.