The Bois Capelle

Start from the small square opposite the church in Coupelle-Vieille.

(S/E) Head downhill towards the south-west. Cross a stream and reach Rue de Monteville. Follow it straight on to reach the D343. Follow it to the right, passing the Town Hall.

(1) After 150 m, turn right onto Rue Marc Têtard and follow it to the end. At the T-junction, turn right and rejoin Rue de Monteville, which you follow to the left for about 150 m.

(2) Take the first wide track on the left (just before a farm), which quickly turns into a grassy path. Follow it, keeping in the same direction, until you reach a T-junction under the high-voltage power line. Turn left onto the D343 and follow it to the right for about a hundred metres until you reach the chapel.

(3) Take the path on the right. Follow it to a T-junction where you turn left towards a wind turbine.
Just before the wind turbine, turn left onto a lovely path (very grassy in mid-May 2020: see practical information). It turns right at a 90° angle and joins a small road at the entrance to a farm.

(4) Follow the small road to the left and you’ll immediately reach the D343. Follow it for 100 m to the right, then take the wide path on the left. At the T-junction, turn right. Ignore the path coming from the right and continue to a further T-junction near a wind turbine.

(5) Turn left. At the three-way junction, follow the path straight ahead. Ignore a path leading uphill to the left and cross the Fond Tiennet (a small wood with a nice little climb and bamboo on the right). As you emerge from the wood, the path turns sharply left and joins the D155.

(6) Follow it for a few dozen metres to the right, then take the path on the left to reach a T-junction, near a wind turbine. Turn left and you’ll reach a three-way junction.

(7) Continue straight ahead along the lovely descending path (it is difficult: rutted and full of large flints). At the bottom, join a wider track which you follow for about fifty metres to the right in a hairpin bend.

(8) Take the first path on the left, which is very grassy and flat. Pass under the high-voltage power line. Shortly afterwards, the path improves.

(9) Leave this path and take a hairpin bend to the right onto a lovely, ascending path that crosses the Bois Capelle. Pass under the high-voltage power line again and reach a T-junction near a wind turbine.

(10) Turn left onto the wide path and follow it for over 2 km to reach the D343.

(11) Follow it to the left, crossing the Traxenne (a tributary of the Lys, which it joins at Lugy). Just after this, on the right, you’ll notice the superb building (Domaine de la Traxène, where weddings are held).
After 150 m, turn right onto the D155 (Rue Cavée). Pass a pretty pond (on the right), cross a stream and take the second street on the left (Rue de l’Église) to return to the starting point (uphill) at the small square opposite the church (S/E).

There are many paths on this route. Good walking shoes and walking stick(s) are therefore strongly recommended.

Between (2) and (3), if the grassy path seems too difficult, you can carry on straight ahead past the wind turbine. You’ll reach a T-junction where you turn right for a few metres. Then take the first hairpin bend on the left to join the D343. Cross the road and take the path opposite, which leads you to (4).