Wash houses, ponds, Fauna and Flora trail in Saint-Vaast-lès-Mello

Visit Saint-Vaast-lès-Mello on a lovely walk and discover its wash houses, beautiful views of the quarries and ponds along the scenic Fauna and Flora Trail. The route also passes through the peaceful hamlet of Barisseuse.

Details

21751317
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.69 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 60 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 69 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 111 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 32 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is the large car park next to the cemetery on Chemin Barisseuse in Saint-Vaast-lès-Mello.

(S/E) When leaving the car park, turn right to pass in front of the cemetery and follow the road, which becomes a dirt track.

(1) At the multiple crossroads, turn left and follow the signs for Barisseuse. At the first intersection, continue straight ahead.

(2) At the next intersection, turn right onto the small path going up into the woods (signposted Barisseuse and marked with yellow markings). At the edge of the woods, turn right onto the wide dirt track.

(3) When you reach a large farm, continue straight ahead on the tarmac road and cross the pretty hamlet of Barisseuse.

(4) Pass in front of the Saint-Nicolas Chapel. It's worth stopping here to admire this 18th-century chapel overlooking Clos Barisseuse. At the end of the hamlet, continue along the tarmac road, leaving the yellow markings behind.

(5) At the next crossroads, near the business buildings, turn left onto a tarmac road and, a little further on, turn right under the wooded area (yellow markings).

(6) When you reach a three-way junction, continue straight ahead, passing between large rocks. A little further on, you can turn left (signposted) to enjoy a beautiful view of the quarries (500 m round trip).
Otherwise, continue to the houses after passing other large rocks.

(7) At a residential car park, turn left twice and go down Rue Henri Carballet (yellow markings). At the bottom, turn right, cross Rue de la Commune de Paris, continue straight ahead and turn right at the first street, Rue de Crécy. At the end of the street, turn left onto the cul-de-sac that leads to the ponds, a small tarmac road that continues as a dirt track under the woods.

(8) At the end of the path, turn left onto the Faune et Flore trail to begin the tour of the pond. At the other end of the pond, turn right and pass between the two ponds. At the next intersection, leave the Faune et Flore trail on your right and continue straight ahead.

(9) At the end of the path, cross the departmental road (take care), go up Rue des Fontaines (yellow markings) and discover the first wash house on the left. A little further on, there is a second wash house with a beautiful basin. Continue uphill, turn right onto Rue Ernest Bianchi and left onto Sente de Feu. Continue uphill, leaving the yellow markings behind.

At the end of the path, turn right onto Chemin Vieux, take the second left onto Rue de la Paix and continue straight on towards the cemetery car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 91 m - Cemetery car park
  2. 1 : km 0.33 - alt. 99 m - Head towards Barisseuse on the left
  3. 2 : km 1.11 - alt. 87 m - Head towards Barisseuse on the right
  4. 3 : km 2.03 - alt. 98 m - Barisseuse Farm
  5. 4 : km 2.46 - alt. 102 m - Saint-Nicolas Chapel
  6. 5 : km 3.53 - alt. 100 m - Turn left at the businesses
  7. 6 : km 4.21 - alt. 91 m - Large rocks
  8. 7 : km 4.83 - alt. 67 m - Twice to the left
  9. 8 : km 5.71 - alt. 33 m - Fauna and Flora Trail, near - Thérain (rivière) à finaliser
  10. 9 : km 7.73 - alt. 37 m - Rue des Fontaines
  11. S/E : km 8.69 - alt. 91 m - Cemetery car park

Notes

Partly sunny route, so bring sunscreen and sturdy shoes.

Worth a visit

The 18th-century Saint Nicolas Chapel
Panoramic view of the quarries
The wash houses of Saint-Vaast-lès-Mello
The Fauna and Flora Trail
The ponds

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
cajoba
cajoba

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with varied landscapes, but a bit too much tarmac road, even though there were very few cars.

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SophP60
SophP60
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, varied walk through fields, woods, hamlets, ponds and wash houses. 🌳🌾🥾🦢
The quarries are worth seeing and the starting point (500m round trip) is located behind the large rocks in front of us. The path is not very busy but is well signposted.
The penultimate section (wash houses) is very steep but doable.
The route is very well described. Worth doing again!

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CPirot
CPirot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A short, easy and comprehensive walk! Woods, a pretty little village, quiet paths and ponds! Also ideal with children and for a picnic.

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Miss Lemon
Miss Lemon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

As a keen local hiker, I took two friends with me who were less familiar with the area.
All three of us were delighted by this varied route (small woods, ponds, village) which was not difficult.
At the moment, you can see the swan basking on its little island in the middle of the pond )
Some sections are a little muddy due to the heavy rain in recent days, but they are still perfectly passable (long live waterproof shoes!). It took us three hours, including a tea break and a detour to the viewpoint.
Be careful around the pond not to leave the "fauna and flora" path too quickly and make sure you pass between the two ponds (we turned a little too early and ended up on the D12. When we reached the road we had to cross, the absence of a path opposite and the railway line on the left quickly made us realise our mistake. A minor detour with no consequences ).

A hike to be repeated!

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legodvicien
legodvicien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant and fairly easy hike. We didn't meet many people along the way. As mentioned elsewhere, it's worth making a slight detour to visit the quarries, which are well worth a stop.
Varied landscapes.
Worth doing again!

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Vincent CLEMENT
Vincent CLEMENT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Good evening, a beautiful hike in exceptional weather.
The only slight downside: the tall vegetation prevents you from seeing the pond and its inhabitants for much of the way
between points 8 and 9.
Otherwise, well done and thank you to the organiser.

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valmy95
valmy95

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very varied and pleasant route, with many shaded sections. The view of the quarries is definitely worth the detour.

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