The 35th Infantry Regiment memorial and the Belval polisher

This short hike takes you to see the Neolithic polisher at Belval and the memorial to the soldiers of the 35th Infantry Regiment who fell between 17 July and 3 August 1918 in the Bois de Courton.

It passes through many woods, vineyards and pastures. It has little elevation gain and presents no difficulties, except for muddy conditions in wet weather.

You will find it very peaceful. Avoid on hunting days.

Details

3415063
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.22 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 156 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 160 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 264 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 169 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Cormoyeux (51480)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.109179° / E 3.913895°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2713E
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure in front of the church in Cormoyeux, where there is parking for two or three cars.

(S/E) Take the main street towards the top of the village (D22E2) and walk to the junction with Chemin de Nanteuil, which is a hairpin bend on the left.

(1) Turn left, walk past the reservoir and picnic area and continue straight ahead through the vineyard to the woods.

(2) At the woods, turn right at a right angle and walk to the road. Turn right and walk for 50 metres.

(3) Take the forest path on the left and stay on this path without changing direction. Pass under the high-voltage line and continue for another 200 m until you reach the stele, in a cluster of conifers.

(4) At the stele, take the path that branches off to the left at a right angle. Cross the forest road and continue straight ahead, veering slightly to the left. When you reach a T-junction, turn left. The path enters a pasture area and leads to the village of La Poterne.

(5) At the small road, turn right and enter the village. Then follow the road to the left, a little-used road that descends into a small valley and crosses a stream.

(6) Continue straight ahead on the road, ignoring the D324 coming from the left, and enter the village of Belval-sous-Châtillon. Walk to the polisher, on the side of the road, shortly after the town hall.

(7) Turn around and leave the village by the same route, ignoring the D324 (now on your right).

(6) After the last house on the right, take the barely visible path that climbs up alongside the property. At Ferme Grand Pré, continue on the right and walk to the road.

(8) At the crossroads, follow the road on the left for 400 metres.

(9) At the next crossroads, take the small road on the left towards La Poterne. After 200 m, turn onto the farm track on the right. Follow this track for 1.5 km. It passes through a grazing area and under the high-voltage power line. Walk to a crossroads of forest roads.

(10) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead. Walk to the D22 road and cross it.

(11) Take the path opposite that leads to the vineyards and continue along this path, which runs between the woods and vineyards, in the same direction.

(12) At the edge of the woods, turn left and follow the woods.

(13) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead through the vineyard towards the village. At the T-junction, turn left.

(14) At the crossroads, turn right onto Rue des Grains d'Argent, then left onto Rue Saint Vincent and continue to the church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 194 m - Church of Cormoyeux
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 211 m - Picnic table in Cormoyeux.
  3. 2 : km 1 - alt. 243 m - Start of the woods.
  4. 3 : km 1.29 - alt. 258 m - Forest path on the left.
  5. 4 : km 3.21 - alt. 256 m - la stèle en l'honneur des soldats du 35e RI tombés entre le 17 juillet et le 3 août 1918 dans le Bois de Courton.
  6. 5 : km 5.22 - alt. 249 m - Small road before La Poterne
  7. 6 : km 6.22 - alt. 184 m - Intersection - Access to Belval
  8. 7 : km 6.45 - alt. 178 m - Polissoir néolithique de Belval sous Châtillon
  9. 8 : km 7.68 - alt. 244 m - Route
  10. 9 : km 8.23 - alt. 253 m - Small road towards La Poterne
  11. 10 : km 10.1 - alt. 264 m - Crossroads in the woods.
  12. 11 : km 10.9 - alt. 240 m - Route
  13. 12 : km 11.82 - alt. 189 m - Vineyard boundary.
  14. 13 : km 12.16 - alt. 184 m - Crossroads
  15. 14 : km 12.87 - alt. 174 m - Crossroads
  16. S/E : km 13.22 - alt. 194 m - Church of Cormoyeux

Notes

Stopover lodge in a wine storehouse in Cormoyeux. Starting point for many routes of the Montagne de Reims.

Water at Belval cemetery.

Worth a visit

Champagne producers in the villages along the route.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
JMB randos
JMB randos

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An interesting and varied circular route.
Forest and vineyard paths. Forest paths and lanes.
Beautiful views of the Fleury valley and river.
Beautiful views of the southern part of the Reims mountain range.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you

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dame de meuse
dame de meuse

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hunting season from 1 October 2022 to 28 February 2023, with specific hunting days depending on the municipality.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for this information.

It should be possible to find out about hunting days; there is a website run by the Montagne de Reims Natural Park for this purpose.

I believe these woods are privately owned. It is therefore up to hikers to be discreet and only go there when possible.

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B.rando
B.rando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike through vineyards and woods. The sections on roads are very quiet. The description is very easy to follow. We would like to do it again in autumn, but is that possible... without hunting?
The polisher amused us, luckily there's a sign... Without a doubt very uneducated, we would have taken it for a vulgar rock!

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

my little finger tells me that right now, on the set, it's rather muddy.

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berthomas
berthomas

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk through vineyards and woods, with a little bit of road but no traffic. Easy to follow route. It took us less than 3 hours to complete, walking at a brisk pace.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for this kind review. See you next time.

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didierjp
didierjp

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with lots of forest and historical interest! Thank you to Virgule for guiding me on this lovely and interesting route.

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virgule
virgule

Great!

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Christian boussin
Christian boussin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We had to search to find the stele, but thanks to this map we found it.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for publishing this.

This route will make it easy to find the memorial. Our region has by no means forgotten the dead of the First World War and the destruction it caused.

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