The heights of Mesnières-en-Bray and the Hellet Forest

This hike will take you to the heights of Mesnières-en-Bray in the Hellet Forest, which is carpeted with bluebells in spring. You can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Boutonnière du Pays de Bray.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.27 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 199 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 199 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 214 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 69 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park of the Mesnières-en-Bray theatre.

(S/E) With your back to the theatre, leave the car park and turn right onto Rue de la Résidence du Boullais. Continue along this street and take the small path on your right until you reach a T-junction with a grassy path.

(1) Turn left and continue along the path until you reach the T-junction with Rue Dubos.

(2) Go down a few steps and take Rue Dubos on your left. At the next junction, turn right onto Grande Rue (D1). Continue straight ahead until you reach the junction with Route de la Gâte on your right.

(3) At the crossroads, turn right onto Route de la Gâte. At a fork, take the dirt track on your right which climbs through the fields. During the climb, ignore the path on the right. Further up, turn left, walk along the forest and you will come out onto Route de la Gâte. Take this road to the right for 100 metres.

(4) Turn right onto the forest path that climbs uphill. Follow the path to a fork and then continue on your right until you reach the intersection with the D56.

(5) Cross the D56 and take the Route Forestière du Val Pâteux opposite. Continue straight ahead on this forest road until it ends, leave the forest and join the D117 (Route de la Croix des 3 Frères).

(6) Follow the D117 to the right for about 200 metres. Then leave the road and take the forest path on your right. Continue straight ahead on this path uphill until you reach the junction with the D56.

(7) Cross the D56 and take the path opposite. Follow this path straight down through the forest until you reach the D97 (Route de Lucy).

(8) Turn right onto the D97 and continue along this road until you reach a bend. In the bend, take the dirt track on your right.

(9) At the next junction, take the path on the left. Continue along this downhill path, which turns into a tarmac road and takes you back to Mesnières-en-Bray via Rue Dubos.

(2) Climb a few steps on the left-hand side of this street.

(1) Continue along the grassy path, past the sports ground and the theatre, and return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 84 m - Theatre car park
  2. 1 : km 0.23 - alt. 90 m - T-junction
  3. 2 : km 0.32 - alt. 84 m - Rue Dubos
  4. 3 : km 0.75 - alt. 69 m - Route de la Gâte on the right
  5. 4 : km 2.8 - alt. 163 m - Forest path on the right Route de la Gâte
  6. 5 : km 4.1 - alt. 214 m - Crossing the D56
  7. 6 : km 5.82 - alt. 147 m - D117 on the right
  8. 7 : km 6.98 - alt. 207 m - Crossing the D56
  9. 8 : km 8.34 - alt. 158 m - D97 Route de Lucy on the right
  10. 9 : km 8.93 - alt. 127 m - Dirt track descending to the left.
  11. S/E : km 10.27 - alt. 84 m - Theatre car park

Notes

Avoid during hunting season or consult the ONF website for the hunting calendar for the Croixdalle National Forest.

Picnic table next to the theatre car park.

Worth a visit

The château of Mesnières-en-Bray with its wooded park.
Saint-Amador Hill with its orientation table overlooking Mesnières-en-Bray and the Béthune Valley.
The Avenue Verte, a former railway line converted for hikers.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Dimrando
Dimrando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route in spring. Travelled in the opposite direction.

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genmarix
genmarix

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route would be more interesting if done in the opposite direction because, as proposed, it begins with a long climb in full sun.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for this information. The area looks very nice, I hope to come here on holiday.

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lannel
lannel

Hello.
Yes, it's exceptional. The photo shows the group I hike with on Thursday afternoons. That was before Covid. There are far fewer of us now, about thirty.
I wish you a pleasant hike in the Pays de Bray. The flower-filled village of Mesnieres-en-Bray is well worth a visit.
Have a nice day.

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

I am interested in this route. One of the photos shows a crowd of hikers on a trail. Is this unusual?

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MARTDomi
MARTDomi

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little hike. Hilly and varied.

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Mapi763007276
Mapi763007276

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is an ideal route for hot days, as most of it is in the forest, with very pleasant shaded paths along the edges of fields and beautiful trails through tunnels of greenery.
At the start of the hike, it is well worth stopping off to visit the village of Mesnieres, which has invested heavily in green tourism. A great success. Picnic in front of the castle a few steps from the starting point, perfect 👍
At the end of the route, we chose to climb the path to admire the view (orientation table). At the last bend, take a left rather than a right; there is little difference in distance.
Thanks again!!!!!

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reveljfmm
reveljfmm

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

In addition to the splendour of the castle, which was magnificently restored after the fire (and before the Bern-Macron lottery's publicity stunt to cover up the scandalous privatisation of the Française des Jeux...),
the commune of Mesnieres en Bray has been developed in a very original way.
You must visit the gardens and read the signs explaining the practical objectives pursued by the municipality
It is enchanting.
Thank you.

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