The Ghosts of Butte Chalmon

Departure from the church in Armentières-sur-Ourcq. See the practical information for parking options and alternative starting points.

Yellow markings

(S/E) At the foot of the church, leave the village and follow the D79 towards Oulchy-le-Château. Ignore the dead-end road on the left and note the ruins of the Château d'Armentières beyond the wall on the left. At the fork, leave the D79 and turn left towards Oulchy-le-Château.

(1) Cross the railway line at the level crossing. Then cross a stream and the Ourcq river. Ignore the road on the left leading to the Confaveux farm. At the fork, continue straight ahead uphill (let the main road turn left).

(2) At the "give way" sign, turn right. After about 150m, just after a road sign on the left-hand side, turn left onto a grassy path that leads between the fields towards a wood. The path turns right and climbs gently into the wood to reach Cugny church.

(3) Follow the D473p road to the right downhill and cross the hamlet (old wash house on the left-hand side). Leave Cugny and continue straight ahead until the next crossroads.

(4) Then follow the D473 left towards Les Crouttes. Continue straight ahead on this small road, ignoring two turnings on the right towards the hamlet of Les Crouttes.

(5) At the sign marking the entrance to Wallée, turn left onto the D229 towards Beugneux. Pass the large sheds on your right and you will see the monument on the hill opposite.

(6) When you reach the car park, turn left, walk past the foot of the statue representing France and climb a wide grassy path interspersed with four sets of four steps (one for each year of the war). This will take you to the Les Fantômes monument.

(7) Retrace your steps to the entrance to Wallée.

(5) Turn left and enter Wallée via Rue des 2 Fermes. Walk past two large farmhouses, one on the left and one on the right. Pass by a chapel and walk downhill for about 100 metres.
After an EDF transformer, turn right at an acute angle. At the fork that quickly appears, take the Grande Rue on the right. Cross the hamlet, noting the troglodyte cellars on the right. After No. 14, continue along a grassy path. Walk along a hedge on your right and a field on your left with a wood beyond.

(8) At an intersection at the foot of an electricity pole, continue along the main path which veers slightly to the right (do not go down to the left). You will come to a small road and follow it to the left to cross the hamlet of Les Crouttes.

Yellow + red and yellow markings

(9) At the fork, take the left path, Chemin du Moulin Ménard (ignore the main road turning right). At the end of the tarmac road, continue along a path, ignore a path immediately on the right and walk along a fenced meadow on your left. Then walk along a poplar grove on your left and turn left.

(10) Cross the Ourcq on a footbridge on the right-hand side (there is a ford, but even after the particularly dry summer and autumn of 2018, it was impassable). Continue through the woods. At the T-junction (not shown on the map), turn right. After a left-hand bend, take the bridge over the railway line. Continue along a narrow tarmac road to Nanteuil-Notre-Dame.

(11) Shortly before the church, follow the D79 to the right. Cross two streams in succession and take a right-hand bend followed by a left-hand bend (caution: narrow verges, moderate visibility). Leave the D79 and turn left up a small gravel road. Continue between the fields, where the gravel gives way to a grassy path.

(12) At the^first intersection (signpost), turn right towards a water tower (note the church of Cugny in the distance on the right). Pass at the foot of the water tower and continue between the fields. After a short descent, you will come to a road. Follow it to the right for about 150 metres.

Red and yellow markings

(13) At^{the first} crossroads, turn sharply left into Rue du Moulin (dead end; yellow cross). Just before No. 8, turn right onto a path between two walls. Continue along a narrow lane. At the T-junction, turn right, pass the war memorial (a simple plaque) and then the town hall, and turn left to return to the church (S/E).

Parking and possible starting points:
- At the suggested starting point (S/E), there are a few spaces available on a small lawn at the foot of Armentières church, in the dip between the D79 and D80 roads. It is also possible to park on the side of the D79 below the cemetery, taking care to stay close to the wall. Slightly further into the village, the side of the D79 on either side of the town hall can accommodate one or two vehicles (be careful not to encroach on the bus stop).
- It is possible to start from Cugny church (3): park on the lawn between the road and the cemetery wall adjacent to the church (three or four vehicles).
- The car park at the foot of the memorial (6) obviously offers the best parking options. However, this means that the walk starts at its main destination.

In dry weather, good trainers are sufficient for this walk, which follows quiet minor roads and well-maintained paths. In wet weather, wear walking boots. Walkers should note that a significant part of the route is on tarmac.

There are no water sources or shops along the route.

Signposting is sparse overall and is not systematically present at all intersections. Therefore, a detailed map is necessary (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 18 October 2018.

- Saint-Martin Church in Armentières-sur-Ourcq (S/E), built in the 13th century, destroyed during the First World War and rebuilt afterwards.

- Ruins of the Château d'Armentières-sur-Ourcq (13th-16th century), between (S/E) and (1).

- Saint-Médard Church (13th century) in Cugny (3).

- Les Fantômes (7), a group of granite sculptures, eight metres high, which is the main feature of the memorial to the Second Battle of the Marne (15 July - 4 August 1918), designed by Paul Landwoski (1875-1961). It was erected in 1935 on the Butte Chalmont, a site considered to have marked the retreat of the German army and the success of the Allied counter-offensive. Inspired by pacifism, this sculpture is above all a tribute to the dead, which the artist, who himself had participated in the war, had "promised to honour". It shows seven soldiers surrounding a naked young man, symbolising martyrdom. The seven soldiers each represent a weapon or status: a young recruit, an infantryman, a sapper, an airman, a machine gunner, a colonial soldier and a grenadier. Leaning slightly backwards, as if pulled from the shroud, they have their eyes closed and seem to be searching for their missing comrades.

- Chapel in Wallée, shortly after (5).

- Pleasant bucolic walk between (5) and (10).

- Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (12th century) in Nanteuil-Notre-Dame (11).