The Two Woods and the Quilienne river

A lovely walk on the borders of Pas-de-Calais and the Somme.
You'll discover the pretty Quilienne river (which did a lot of damage in 2016) and the Bois de Saint-Pierre (woods).

It's possible to add one or two extensions, so that the trail can exceed 22km (see practical info).

Technical sheet

582278
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.08 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 172 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 179 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 155 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 74 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the Grand'Place in Pas-en-Artois.

(S/E) Join Rue d'En-bas and follow it to the right. Take the 2nd street on the right (Ruelle Bernard) to join the D1. Follow this for a few metres, then turn right at the next junction.

(1) Turn left, then quickly find a nice path that roughly follows the D1 at a distance. Ignore the paths on the left and reach a T-junction. Turn right (barrier) and reach a crossroads. (This passage was very grassy in early May 2017).

(2) Go left, then right on a good uphill path. Ignore the track on the right and reach a small road.

(3) Follow it in the opposite direction, ignoring a path coming from the left and reaching a fork.

(4) Turn left to pass Hurtebise Farm. At the fork, turn left and follow this good path to the D1 . Follow it to the right through Thièvres.

(5) At the church, turn left into Rue de Cocagne. We are now on the GR®124 for a few km. Cross the river La Quilienne, which flows into the Authie fifty metres below. Climb up to reach a point at Bois Laleau, and continue for around 700m until you come to a small path on the right.

Turn right to reach the edge of the wood. Turn left at the edge. A little further on, at the fork, turn left along the edge. The path veers to the right and enters the undergrowth. Continue in the same direction until you reach a small road.

(7) Go straight ahead on a nice grassy downhill path (still GR®124) and join the D124. Leave the GR®° and follow the D124 a few metres to the left (water tap in the cemetery on the right: go straight down, the tap is behind the wall). At the fork (calvary), turn right and follow this good path, ignoring the side paths to reach a crossroads.

Turn left. At the T-junction, turn right onto the D25. Follow this for about 250m on the left.

(9) At the crossroads, take the right path on the left. We're now on the yellow Sentier des Bois (this will take us back to Pas-en-Artois). Follow the main path (follow the signs) through the Bois de Saint Pierre. This is a fairly bad path, even in dry weather. As soon as it gets bad, you can take a path that has opened up on the right. Keep to this path for as long as possible, as the bottom is damp. At the end of the wood, the path widens to join the D124.

(10) Follow it to the right. Just before the bridge over the Quilienne river, take the path on the right, first along the edge of the wood, then along the left bank of the Quilienne. Reach a footbridge leading to the right bank. A pretty riverside path leads to Pas-en-Artois.

(11) At the bridge, turn left into Rue de l'Abbaye. At the very end, turn left into the Grand'Place (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 92 m - Grand'Place
  2. 1 : km 0.34 - alt. 96 m - Turn left just before you reach the road
  3. 2 : km 1.17 - alt. 93 m - Left at the crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.29 - alt. 131 m - Road ahead
  5. 4 : km 2.74 - alt. 140 m - Left towards the farm
  6. 5 : km 5.03 - alt. 74 m - Church of Thièvres - Authie (fleuve)
  7. 6 : km 7.05 - alt. 145 m - To the right, towards the edge of the wood
  8. 7 : km 8.34 - alt. 121 m - Downhill path opposite
  9. 8 : km 10.58 - alt. 146 m - Left at the crossroads
  10. 9 : km 12.68 - alt. 141 m - Left at the crossroads
  11. 10 : km 15.3 - alt. 89 m - Right on tarmac
  12. 11 : km 16.9 - alt. 92 m - At the bridge, turn left
  13. S/E : km 17.08 - alt. 92 m - Grand'Place

Practical information

Some of the paths can be very grassy, and crossing the Bois de Saint-Pierre is difficult. So, more than ever, good shoes and at least one walking stick are essential.

It is possible to extend the walk at (11), by following the yellow markers (a good km more and a climb).
At the bridge, turn right, cross the Quilienne and enter the woods.
Quickly leave the wide driveway to take a path on the right (health trail signs). First you walk along the edge of the wood, then slightly uphill (nice layout) to reach a T-junction. Turn left, and a steep climb takes you back to the wide path (picnic area).
At the picnic area, go straight ahead (no motor vehicles sign and yellow markings). Ignore 2 left-hand paths (one hairpin, the other grassy) and reach a T-junction near the Calvaire du Bois de Saint-Pierre (hiking pole).
Turn left, then left again to descend to Pas-en-Artois (rustic staircase).
At the bottom, leave the signs. Do not cross the river, but turn left and follow it to reach point (11).

4 km extension also possible just after Hurtebise farm. Turn right on the PR® path (it's signposted) to reach a small road. Turn left onto a nice track and reach a T-junction. Turn left onto the GR®124 (it's well signposted). This very wild path eventually veers right to reach a wider track, which you follow on the left down to Thièvres. At the T-junction, turn left onto the D1 (STOP sign). Turn right and you'll soon reach point (5).

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
BaudouinB
BaudouinB

Ah... Last night I also reported the GR124 problem on Suricate! If they don't take the problem seriously 🤭

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joorange
joorange

I've just reported the problem on the GR 124 to Suricate.
Luckily, we're still in the Pas-de-Calais and we can hope that the path will be cleared.

As for the little extension after point 11, I'll try to improve the description next time I'm in the area (always difficult in the undergrowth). I wanted to do it in the spring, but I came across a mountain bike trail there and followed it in the opposite direction. Nice loop, but too difficult to describe.

It's true that the route between 7 and 9 seems a bit long. I usually cut off part of it by going straight along the fields at the T-junction after point 8.

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BaudouinB
BaudouinB

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

I haven't yet looked at the architectural or historical heritage of this walk, so at this stage the interest is mainly in the scenery. The route offers beautiful panoramas of the region and provides a long break from civilisation.

Speaking of panoramas, don't miss the one over Pas-en-Artois at the very end of the walk. But, sorry joorange, I didn't understand any of your explanations so, after the bridge over the Kilienne, I simply climbed the hill on the small tarmac road and took the second path on the left opposite the picnic area. From there it's straight on to the cross.

While I'm on the subject of extending the walk, I also did the 4 km stretch between points 4 and 5. But at Champs Tortus, the GR124 is so overgrown with nettles and brambles that it's enough to give you a nervous breakdown! So, when possible, we walk along the edge of the fields, but at one point I got stuck and lost a lot of energy!

Perhaps that's why I found the route between points 7 and 9 too long and boring, and why in the end it was probably my least favourite walk in the region. Oh yes, because you have to add to this ordeal the crossing of the Bois de Saint-Pierre, which is so painful and tiring because the path is so muddy!

I'll probably do it again one day when I'm in better shape... in one or two years' time!

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Marc 62
Marc 62

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful and varied walk.
Good footwear essential, some very slippery sections.
Thanks to the author

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Claude-Meignen
Claude-Meignen

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The walk is a little boring as it passes through huge fields of wheat, maize, beetroot, flax...
But there are some interesting sections in the woods and villages (Authie, Thièvres).
Encounters with small rivers.
But the little extra loop on reaching Pas is well worth doing.

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oenophile
oenophile

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Hello,

problem with the markings at the start of the circuit and at the beginning.
sur le circuit pas cde souci

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ericmartial
ericmartial

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

nothing to add to the various comments apart from the unfound calvary...

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JMJournet
JMJournet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

In dry weather, the passage through the wood between markers 9 and 10 is not really a problem, especially as the track to the right of the main path is clearly visible and accessible.
The route is of moderate interest between 7 and 9.

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D.L.
D.L.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A hike in the countryside. The passages through the woods are the most enjoyable parts. Good footwear is essential as some sections are still a little muddy.

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AstridRegis62
AstridRegis62

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful walk in the countryside. The woodland sections are the highlights of this attractive route.

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joorange
joorange

Descriptions of villages are always difficult.

Personally, when I prepare my hike, I take advantage of Visorando's resources (by enlarging the map) to make a small map of the start.

It's sometimes useful to do the same thing for each village crossing.

Sincerely

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Didier CHATELAIN
Didier CHATELAIN

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A little difficult to orientate yourself at the start of Pas en Artois, then the directions are very good.
Be careful at the bottom of the Authie (back to Pas en Artois), it's always very muddy, even in August 2018 when it had been very dry for several weeks.
Very pleasant route, allow 4 hours without stops.

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Vercors80
Vercors80

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Lovely walk in fine weather, but still very muddy in the woods on the way back to Pas en Artois. An uninteresting hike for the variety of landscapes encountered, the viewpoints and the gradients.

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Xavier2304
Xavier2304

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hi, just a quick comment, the Kilienne, not the Quilienne. We did it this morning, as it had rained all night and some of the paths had turned into rivers. It's a lovely route with a good difference in altitude, and we did it in 3 hours 12 minutes, with a lot of mud but a very nice ride. Many thanks to the person who shared this wonderful moment with us. Xavier

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CatherineCouillet
CatherineCouillet

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 27, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Lovely walk. The view over Pas en Artois is magnificent, which gave us the opportunity to have a quiet meal. It would be better to do this walk in dry weather, as the paths in the woods are muddy and even in places you have to step off them to avoid the puddles. Nevertheless, I recommend this walk.

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