The Ansérienne Trail

This trail takes you across the coastal plain, which stretches as far as the eye can see, and allows you to explore, within the dune system, a preserved natural area: the Platier d’Oye National Nature Reserve.

Details

2796471
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.29 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 10 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 10 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 23 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 7 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking: Town Hall Square.

(S/E) Opposite the town hall, head to the right and turn right onto Rue de la Procession, then right again onto Route du Pont d’Oye. At the traffic lights, cross the main road using the pedestrian crossing. Turn left and follow the D940 until you reach the edge of the built-up area.

(1) Leave Avenue Paul Machy and turn right onto Chemin de la Basse Rue. After more than 2 km, it joins Rue de Hocquerie (the D930). Turn left onto it and take the first path on the right. On the horizon, you’ll see the yellow bricks of a former chicory drying house.

(2) At the Jardin du Beau Pays, turn right. Then, at the crossroads, head left until you reach the junction at a place called Les Hauts Arbres.

(3) Turn right and follow the stream. You’ll reach the hamlet of Waldam. Continue to the junction with the D119.

(4) Turn right and follow the road, then cross the D119 and take the first path on the left. At the blockhouse, turn left towards the beach.

(5) At Les Hemmes beach, turn right. Follow the beach for 4 km until you reach Plage de l’Abri-Côtier.

(6) At the Abri-Côtier car park, turn right and you’ll reach the crossroads at a place called Les Huttes d’Oye (see possible alternative route in Practical Information).
Then take the path below for about 1 km. You’ll reach the junction with the D119 at the hamlet of Le Tap-Cul.

(7) Turn right onto the D119 and follow it for a few metres. Turn left into Rue de la Mer and follow it for about 900 metres.

(8) Turn left onto Rue des Anciens d’AFN. In the housing estate, turn right onto the small path, which leads back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 13 ft - Place de la Mairie
  2. 1 : mi 0.48 - alt. 13 ft - Chemin de la Basse Rue, on the right
  3. 2 : mi 2.95 - alt. 7 ft - Jardin du Beau Pays
  4. 3 : mi 3.81 - alt. 7 ft - Les Hauts Arbres
  5. 4 : mi 5.04 - alt. 13 ft - Waldam
  6. 5 : mi 6.11 - alt. 23 ft - Les Hemmes Beach
  7. 6 : mi 8.69 - alt. 20 ft - Abricotier Beach (Casino Beach)
  8. 7 : mi 9.45 - alt. 13 ft - Le Tape-Cul
  9. 8 : mi 10.02 - alt. 10 ft - X Rue de la Mer and Rue des Anciens d’AFN
  10. S/E : mi 10.29 - alt. 13 ft - Place de la Mairie

Notes

More information on Audruicq – Oye-Plage.

Alternative route to the ‘Huttes d’Oye’: turn left and follow the Route des Dunes (about a 10-minute walk): you can also visit the Leaning Tower and the start of the Platier d’Oye trail.

Find this route on the CPETI website.

Worth a visit

Saint-Médard Church (fully restored in 2011)
During the long period of English occupation in the Calais region (1347–1558), the original church in the small village of Oye-Plage was built in 1533, during the reign of Mary Tudor. It belonged to the Diocese of Canterbury. In the 19th century, as it had become too small, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style. Its bell tower, situated 2 km from the sea, long served as a landmark for sailors. Remarkable stained-glass windows by Henry Lhotellier are well worth seeing.

Blockhouse
Along the entire Ansérien coastline, there are numerous blockhouses erected by the Germans during the Second World War, remnants of the Atlantic Wall.

The Leaning Tower
One of these blockhouses is particularly remarkable. The Germans built it in the shape of a church to mislead Allied pilots. At the end of the war, the Germans attempted to destroy this blockhouse, but the explosive charge used was too weak and the tower remained in a peculiar position, hence its name: the Leaning Tower.

The Platier d’Oye National Nature Reserve
The Platier d’Oye Nature Reserve covers 400 hectares and offers an ideal setting for observing migratory birds as well as the flora typical of dune landscapes. Highland cattle, brought over from Scotland, help to maintain the site naturally.

Reviews and comments

3.8 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
3 / 5
Malyse56
Malyse56

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A rather monotonous trail… The only positives are the impeccable signposting, the fields of flax stretching as far as the eye can see at this time of year, the superb beach and the fact that there’s no elevation gain. Avoid this route in the afternoon when the sun is beating down! There’s no shade.

Machine-translated

Vlaemsch
Vlaemsch

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

A route with nothing particularly interesting about it, apart from the bit along the beach and the climb at the 1 km mark! Walk taken on Thursday 6 August

Machine-translated

Neo
Neo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

More of a stroll than a hike. Of the 17 km or so advertised, only the 5 km along the beach are interesting and worth the trip. The rest: stony farm tracks, between manure-spreading tractors (not exactly organic) and noise from the airfield; tarmac roads that are sometimes dangerous (D 119); streets winding through the heart of a housing estate or the outskirts of town... Not to mention the poor signposting on the beach… which led me to walk an extra 5 to 6 km along the ‘campsite’ road… In short, just stick to the GR120… and that’s fine. One positive point, though: no one around, not even on the beach.

Machine-translated

SoWalking
SoWalking

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely countryside and beach walk around Oye-Plage! Lots of country lanes and old roads with very little traffic, plus 4km of beach! Peace and quiet guaranteed (unless we were just lucky?!) The route is only partially signposted, so do keep a close eye out, especially when leaving the beach… otherwise you might end up doing a circular route that is longer than you bargained for!

Machine-translated

LENGLART CHRISTIAN
LENGLART CHRISTIAN

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We altered the route so that it ended at the OYE reef. To do this, we didn’t follow sections 1–2–3, which were too close to the county road, and instead reached WADAM via the quieter Rue du Moulin. We had some difficulty finding exit 6 from the beach, but managed to locate it using the map’s GPS.Following this walk with a section of the OYE reef and its interpretive route was very enjoyable.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.