The Mountain and the Fossettes

(S/E) The route starts from the car park at level crossing 71 on Avenue Verte, situated between Neufchâtel-en-Bray and Forges-les-Eaux. Ignore Avenue Verte; head up the street, Impasse du Frais Agneau, until you reach the T-junction. Cross the Route de Neufchâtel (D1314), taking great care with traffic; continue straight ahead past the sign for the village of Bouelles and carry on straight on until you reach the T-junction.

(1) Turn right onto Route de Nesle-Hodeng; at the T-junction with the wayside cross, carry on straight ahead along Rue du Centre. Ignore the first turn-off on the left, marked with route signposts, and continue towards the centre of the village of Nesle-Hodeng. Walk to the town hall, which is decorated with ceramic artwork, then retrace your steps, ignoring a turn-off on the right onto Rue l’Abbé Andrieux.

(2) Turn right, heading uphill towards the church; follow the road to the T-junction and turn left onto Rue Verte. At the end, continue along the path straight ahead, climbing for approximately 1,160 metres, until you reach a T-junction. Turn left; the path is much wider, level and appears to be frequently used by farm machinery. Walk for about 190 m until you reach the first turn-off on the right.

(3) Turn right, along the edge of the woods, following the green signposts, until you reach the road.

(4) Turn right and then immediately left onto the D56 towards the hamlet of La Montagne. Walk through the hamlet, past the ‘hamlet exit’ sign, and continue to the first turn-off on the left, which is a path.

(5) Turn left onto the path leading down towards Les Fossettes. At the next Fork in the road, keep right and continue until you reach the road.

(6) Turn left to return to the village of Bouelles. Walk past the church, the town hall and the former presbytery (1736) on the Route du Bourg.

(1) At the wayside cross, ignore the turn-off to the right and turn right a little further on, onto Route du Bourg. Continue straight on along the same route you took on the way out to return to the starting point (S/E).

To reach the car park and starting point of the route:
Route de Neufchâtel D 1314: at the sign marking the entrance to the village of Bouelles, do not turn into the village. Take the street directly opposite, Impasse du Frais Agneau, towards the Frais Agneau picnic area at level crossing 71 on Avenue Verte.
PN = Level crossing

Bouelles:
The castle, converted into a farmhouse, features a dovecote decorated with frieze motifs.
The Church of Saint-Martin, dating from the 12th and 16th centuries.
The former vicarage dates from 1736 and is now a private residence.

Nesle-Hodeng:
Saint-Pierre Church dates from the 18th century.
Saint-Denis Chapel in the hamlet of Hodeng.
Bival Abbey.
The Town Hall and its magnificent ceramics.