Path along Fache d'Ahant

A wooded, undulating walk offering beautiful views over the Avesnois countryside and the meandering Helpe area.

Details

55056
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.70 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 62 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 65 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 211 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 154 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S) Park near the Bois Jolis mill/museum
With your back to the museum, turn right and then left towards the town hall.

(1) At the village hall, turn left towards the nursery school, and walk along a narrow path.

(2) Follow the Belleuse stream.
On the right, enjoy the view of the village.

(3) After the stadium, go straight on to the fork in the road.

(4) Turn left and climb up to the Bois de la Petite Villette, owned by the Département du Nord.
Follow the path through the woods for 250m.

(5) Turn left then left again.

(6) Continue along the winding path. This damp part of the wood is planted with poplars. At the crossroads - fir woods.

(7) Turn left, then right to reach the edge of the wood, where the hornbeam hedge is pollarded. Follow the edge of the wood and, 150m from its end. After 1 km, you're on the Rd133.

(8) Take the Rd133 left towards Ramousies. View of Ramousies and its 16th-century church, past the Rempsies fortified farm with its 7th-century keep in the lower section.
Cross the Helpe (view of its meanders and the mill) and continue for 250m to the calvary.

(9) Turn right at the calvary onto a small asphalt lane and after 150m right onto the Chemin d'Ahant, which you follow for 1.5km (cross the Helpe again on the footbridge).

(10) At the end, return to the Rd133. Turn left as far as Semeries.

(11) Immediately after the cemetery, turn right onto a track that is chalk at first, then earthy, before taking a left at a fork marked "Fâche d'Ahan".
The track follows the old railroad line, go around the sewage treatment plant to the right and find a fork in the road.

(4) Take the opposite route to the (S/E) (stadium, footbridge over the Belleuse, town hall, Musée des Bois Jolis).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 171 m - The Bois Jolis Museum in Felleries
  2. 1 : km 0.23 - alt. 171 m - Path immediately before the town hall
  3. 2 : km 0.3 - alt. 170 m - La Belleuse
  4. 3 : km 0.4 - alt. 174 m - Stadium
  5. 4 : km 0.79 - alt. 176 m - Joint return junction
  6. 5 : km 1.32 - alt. 205 m - Intersection
  7. 6 : km 1.48 - alt. 210 m - Winding path
  8. 7 : km 3.41 - alt. 197 m - Orée du bois
  9. 8 : km 4.32 - alt. 165 m - D133 road to Ramousies
  10. 9 : km 4.83 - alt. 159 m - Chemin d'Ahant
  11. 10 : km 6.68 - alt. 157 m - Route D133
  12. 11 : km 7.09 - alt. 155 m - Chemin castiné then Ahan
  13. S/E : km 10.7 - alt. 171 m - The Bois Jolis Museum in Felleries

Notes

Listed on the PDIPR (Plan Départemental des Itinéraires de Promenade et de randonnée pédestre).
Follow the yellow markings:
Yellow cross = wrong direction.
Right arrow = turn right.
Left arrow = turn left.
Horizontal line = go straight on.

The Bois de la Petite Villette is a delicate natural area. Stay on the paths and respect the regulations.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
gerendo
gerendo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

lovely walk, all types of terrain and landscapes, we'll be going back as a group

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Semelle verte
Semelle verte

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant mountain bike ride in the woods.

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smuriste
smuriste

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant, clean and well-marked route with superb views over the Avesnoise countryside.

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pierre gobin
pierre gobin

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

As for the ease with which I could follow the description, I had indeed printed it out, but as it wasn't securely fastened in my jacket, I lost it very quickly (before (1) ) as I was following the yellow signs, I didn't realise it until much further on. On the way back, I was pleasantly surprised to see it on a window sill, in plain view. This seems to me to be proof that hikers are "respected" here.
It's an easy route that offers some fine views of the landscape that is so typical of the region, with its hedgerows, well-kept hedges and numerous mills and old farms.
Personally, I find that the loop through the Petite Villette wood is only worthwhile for the view over the Belleuse valley, as the forest has no remarkable trees and the path is ploughed up by skidders. A loop through the village of Ramousies, which I tried out, is more interesting in my opinion.
Definitely worth doing again in the summer.

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mamymomo
mamymomo
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

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PNR de l'Avesnois
PNR de l'Avesnois

The real name of this route is La Fache d'Ahan

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juliusm59
juliusm59

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route is signposted "la fache d'ahan" ....

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Buzzrando
Buzzrando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Pleasant walk

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philippebourel
philippebourel

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

This is a very pleasant walk, combining woodland, countryside and paths. Although the route is generally well signposted, the first part of the woodland is not easy to find and does not correspond completely to the map.

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josettelimont
josettelimont

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

very pleasant route, well signposted and well maintained - easy

Nice discovery

Your description is very well done... congratulations!

We're going to try out other routes without delay

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alaindelcroix
alaindelcroix

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 18, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant, easy and varied route through the Avesnois, with its hedged farmland and beautiful views from the Bois de la Petite Villette to Ramousies. To complete the walk, why not visit the wood museum and mill still in operation at Felleries? The tour starts from the Ecomusée car park .... So don't hesitate !!!!

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Hello everyone.
To make it easier for you to find your way around, wpts have been inserted in the description and on the map.
Have a nice walk.

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Marmas
Marmas

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pretty route in the Avesnois with its hedged farmland, a very varied route that is not monotonous. Plus a visit to the wood museum and mill, still in operation, at Felleries.

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DENEUBOURG
DENEUBOURG

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

HELLO

YES, WE HAD A GREAT TIME ON THIS WALK, WE REALLY ENJOYED IT
MES IL VONT LES FLECHE MERCI

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lecatesien59
lecatesien59

Hello, and thank you for this hike.
I'm planning to do it very soon, and it looks really good.

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