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Park on the Grand Place in Maisnil-lès-Ruitz.
(S/E) Head north between the buildings. At the junction, turn left onto the small track which joins the D77. Follow it to the right, go past the Stop sign and, 200 metres further on, turn left onto the main road. Cross over the D941 and continue along the path, which is now tarmacked and was already slippery on 11 December 2021, even though it wasn’t particularly cold! 400 m further on, you’ll find a path on the right.
(1) Take this path until you come to a slope. Then turn left to find a nice little climb (barrier) that takes you to the top of the slope, facing the spoil tip (T3).
(2) Turn right and follow the path along the ledge. There’s a lovely view of the T2 staircase, which you’ll need to climb. Continue to the end of the path and take a sharp left-hand bend to reach the foot of T2.
(3) Turn right to reach the summit by climbing the 389 steps, then head back down.
(3) Continue to the right along the narrow path that runs between the two slag heaps. At the end, turn left and walk round the T3 on the widest path (the others are unstable).
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(2) Return to the path leading towards the T2. Go round the slag heap on the right: there are a few damp patches but it’s well drained. After a right-hand bend, you’ll reach a gate.
(4) Go through it and you’ll immediately reach a T-junction. Turn right onto a wide path which will take you to Haillicourt. After another barrier, you’ll arrive near a house on the left. Stay on the path and, via a descent down a grassy embankment, reach Rue de Bruay. Cross it and take the steep climb opposite. Descend very quickly to reach the bus lane.
(5) Follow it to the right (there’s a path on the left). Go under the bridge and arrive at a pedestrian crossing. Take it and go under the old bridge to reach a wall. Then turn right to join the D 72 (Rue de Béthune) at the entrance to Ruitz.
(6) Cross over to take Rue de l’Hôpital opposite and reach a roundabout. Turn left, staying on Rue de l’Hôpital. After about a hundred metres, you’ll find the entrance to the “City Stade” on your right. Walk through it to reach Rue des Chênes, follow it to the left and reach a Fork in the road.
(7) Turn right. Ignore the path branching off to the right and continue along the wide track. It is often very wet, so you’ll need to ‘navigate’ your way through or wade through the mud! You’ll reach a block of houses. Just past a post, you’ll find the start of a faint path through the fields.
(8) Take this path, which has improved considerably recently and forms part of a signposted route. Join Rue des Carrières and follow it to the end. Then turn right and, almost directly opposite, take Rue d’Houdain towards the tobacconist’s.
(9) Immediately afterwards, turn left, go under the archway and continue along a lovely path. At the Fork in the road, take the left-hand path and join a wider track. Follow it to the right until you reach a large crossroads (white gates).
(10) Head towards the entrance to the Étang de la Fossette (gate). Go in, walk round the pond (you won’t be disappointed!) and return to the large crossroads.
(10) Go through the gate and turn left onto the tarmac road: this is, of course, the right-hand way if you’re not heading to the pond.
At the end of the tarmac road, the path turns right. Immediately after that, turn left onto the proper path leading to the miners’ village.
At the end of the path, follow Rue de Mulhouse straight ahead until you reach a junction.
Stay on Rue de Mulhouse, which heads due north, and look out for a narrow lane branching off to the left.
(11) Follow this pleasant alleyway to the end. Then turn left towards the stadium. Just before the stadium, a small lane branches off to the right.
(12) Take this lane to reach Rue du Sart. Follow it to the left before turning right into Rue de la Colline. Join Rue d’Olhain, which you follow to the right to return to the starting point on the Grand Place in Maisnil-lès-Ruitz (S/E).
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Association / Club / Walk leader
Easy 
