The Bois Pigeolet and the Châtelet towards Sart-Dames-Avelines

Start at the car park by the Sart-Dames-Avelines cemetery

GPS: Chemin de la Bruyère du Coq 12 - 1495 Villers-la-Ville

(S/E) With the cemetery car park behind you, head up Chemin Bruyère du Coq to the right.

(1) When you reach the T-junction at the end of the street, take Rue de la Houlette on the right.

(2) At the first junction, take the tree-lined path on the right (Path No. 38). At the end of this path, head left to join the track running alongside the Bois Pigeolet. Continue to the right.

(3) At the junction, take the first path on the left. At the T-junction, follow the sunken path to the right. Pass through a turnstile and cross the meadow diagonally to pass through a second turnstile. Descend the wooded slope. Caution: the descent is very steep! Walking poles are very useful for this section. Cross Rue de Sart and take Rue du Châtelet.

(4) Upstream on the river lies the former “Moulin banal” of the Lords of Marbais (^17th and^18th centuries). Cross the Thyle and continue along Rue du Châtelet on the path that climbs to the right.

(5) You arrive at the promontory, "Le Châtelet", a former feudal manor belonging to the same lords, vassals of the Counts of Namur, which became a farm in^{the 18th} century. After the barn, take the first dirt track on the right. After a narrow, sunken stretch, turn right and enter the Bois de Cocriamont.

(6) Cross it, following the GR® 127 "Tour du Brabant wallon". On leaving the woods, continue along Path No. 56, which crosses a field. You will emerge onto Rue Grosse Boule near the water tower.

(7) Turn right onto this road (tarmac). Just before the end of the street, which is a dead end, take Path No. 110, which branches off to the right.

(8) Turn left (sharp hairpin bend) onto Trail No. 13.

(9) Turn sharply right onto Trail No. 57 "Pré de la Bruyère Coquiat". Walk past the "Moulin à Thil". Turn left onto Rue du Moulin à Thil. 20 metres further on, turn right and continue to the end of Rue du Marais.

(10) Turn left onto Rue de Villers. 300 metres further on, take Chemin de la Bruyère du Coq on the right to return to the starting point (S/E).

A relatively flat and easy walk, except for a short, very steep section between (3) and (4), before joining Rue de Sart, which explains the ‘moderate’ difficulty rating.

The walk is largely in the open, with few shaded sections. If it’s sunny, bring a hat.

Part of this walk follows the route of Villers-la-Ville walk no. 7, which is signposted with green and white rectangles. Please note, however, if you opt for the signposted walk (which is slightly longer): several signposts are missing, sometimes at key points.

(5) Le Châtelet

(7) Water tower

(9) The Mill at Thil