Lucheux and its forest

A beautiful route around Lucheux, best done in dry weather, as theGR®124is in very poor condition (and poorly marked!) in the forest.

You may see deer and wild boar.

This route replaces the old one, the western section of which is now impassable.

Details

150376
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.80 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 100 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 101 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 162 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 81 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Starting point: small car park in front of the church in Sus-Saint-Léger on the Grande Rue.

(S/E) With your back to the church, turn right. Just after number 400, turn left onto the small road. At the T-junction, turn left onto a beautiful grassy path and reach a small road. Follow it to the right to reach the cemetery.

(1) Turn right again and continue to the T-junction.

(2) Take the path opposite (clear in February 2019) and, after passing two gates (without difficulty), you will reach a small road. Follow it to the left and stay on this good path (at the large tree with a shrine and a sign saying "On a toujours le choix" [We always have a choice], turn right) heading south and you will arrive near the Lucheux Forest.
(If the path is in very poor condition, turn right at point 2 and then left at the T-junction).

(3) Turn left onto theGR®124. A few metres further on, theGR® turns left onto a grassy path. Continue, reach the D5, cross it and continue straight ahead on a path for about 500 m.

(4) Make a return trip to the right to see the Chapelle Saint-Léger (not signposted, but a very beautiful path). On your return, continue on theGR® and reach the campsite. Join the D5 and follow it to the left.

(5) At the crossroads, turn left (D127E), still following theGR®. A few metres further on,
the GR°°® ° turns right onto a path. Follow the Grouche and arrive near a house.

(6) Leave theGR® which turns right and continue straight ahead, still on the left bank of the river. You will reach a T-junction.

(7) Turn right, then right again 100 metres further on (Rue Porte au Wez). Cross the Grouche and at the three-way junction, turn left into Rue à Cailloux to join the D 5.

(8) Take Rue du Boisle opposite, which runs alongside the château (not very visible). At the T-junction, turn left and you will arrive at one of the château entrances.

(9) Continue along the small street on the right. Just after a bend, don't miss the pretty little street (Ruelle Bazin) on the left (sometimes a little cluttered) which will take you back to the D5.

(10) Follow the D5 on the left for about 200 metres.

(11) Take Rue Paquette on the left, which continues along Chemin Royal to cross the forest. This long, straight avenue (artistically lined with watchtowers!) crosses theGR® 124 trail after 3 km (you are almost at the highest point, the crossroads is clear and the markers are visible).

(12) Follow theGR® on the right: this is a difficult section, even in dry weather, where you often have to avoid puddles by taking the paths parallel to the road: this is the aptly named Fosse Entonnoire (sic). When you reach the edge, leave theGR® (which goes to the right at the edge) and go straight ahead.

(13) At the Y-junction, go left and a little further on, turn right to join the D59. Take Rue Saint-Julien opposite and further on, a small road on the right that joins Rue du Moulin (pass close to a farm). Follow it on the right until you reach the D59. The church is on the right (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 150 m - Church of Sus-Saint-Léger
  2. 1 : km 0.54 - alt. 150 m - Turn right at the cemetery.
  3. 2 : km 1.06 - alt. 158 m - T-junction
  4. 3 : km 3.01 - alt. 145 m - Lucheux Forest
  5. 4 : km 4.34 - alt. 102 m - Towards - Chapelle Saint-Léger (Lucheux)
  6. 5 : km 5.85 - alt. 91 m - Turn left at the crossroads. Follow the - Grouche (rivière)
  7. 6 : km 6.85 - alt. 85 m - Isolated house on the left
  8. 7 : km 7.83 - alt. 84 m - T-junction
  9. 8 : km 8.36 - alt. 83 m - Junction with the D 5
  10. 9 : km 8.67 - alt. 96 m - Near one of the entrances to the castle
  11. 10 : km 8.91 - alt. 97 m - Return to the D 5
  12. 11 : km 9.12 - alt. 99 m - Leave the D 5 and turn left.
  13. 12 : km 12.26 - alt. 146 m - Junction with the GR°°®°° 124
  14. 13 : km 13.55 - alt. 157 m - At the Y, turn left.
  15. S/E : km 14.8 - alt. 150 m - Church of Sus-Saint-Léger

Notes

The forest trails are difficult. Good equipment is necessary.

At point 8, you are a few metres from the belfry (on the right, a return trip is a must).

Shortly after point 10, you can make a detour to see the beautiful Épousailles tree (or hollow tree). The spot is very beautiful and ideal for a picnic (benches).
At (13), you can return by taking the departmental road on the right, but it is more enjoyable to take the route described.

There is a nice café in Lucheux, closed on Wednesdays. It is on the right at point 10.

.

Worth a visit

Saint-Léger Chapel

In Lucheux: castle (quite hidden), belfry, marriage tree and a few cobbled streets.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

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

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
joorange
joorange

Did you take the western edge (old route) or the insipid Royal Way?

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fra62
fra62

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike. The section in the Lucheux forest is indeed difficult over the last hundred metres because it is not maintained.

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joorange
joorange

Taking advantage of the dry spell, I resumed the old route on Thursday, 28 May 2020.
The lower part is very easy (up to the first power line).
Then there is a chaotic area with quite a few branches and tree trunks. If you are careful, it is not too difficult to step over some of them and go around the larger ones. The rest of the way to the quarry is quite cluttered, but relatively easy.
The section after the quarry is more challenging. I walked along the right bank of the stream (which is easy to cross). You slalom between the trees, still following the stream, and reach the GR via a clearing where trees have recently been planted.
Alternatively, at the quarry, it is easy to reach the small road and follow it to the right until you reach the GR.

With a little effort, this path could easily be restored!

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joorange
joorange

The problem is that we are in the Somme, where hikers do not seem to be a priority.
There used to be a few marked trails around Lucheux, but they have all but disappeared.
The path along the edge of the forest was one of them, and I used it without too many problems for a long time.
But over the last two or three years, it has been left to deteriorate and is now effectively impassable (I had difficulty walking along it in the spring and it has probably not improved since then).
I reported the problem to the Somme Hiking Committee, but I have not received any response.
As for the Lucheux Town Hall website, you can leave a message but you won't get a reply either (even when you congratulate them!).
All this is, of course, to the delight of the wild boars (and their all-powerful predators in the department). Last year, we came across two herds (the path along the edge was still passable).

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leschéris rando
leschéris rando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We completed this hike on 4 August 2019 in dry weather.
The trail is not updated for GPS tracking, which meant we had to take the path along the edge of the forest, which was indeed very difficult to access.
The first part is very pleasant, with varied and easy terrain.
We saw deer and a heron on this first section up to the edge of the forest on the way back.
Avoid the edge at all costs, as we found it to be very dangerous (if you continue straight on at point 8).
The rain has severely damaged the steep terrain at the edge of the forest, trees have slipped and fallen, nothing is maintained or cleaned, you have to climb over or under huge tree trunks and step over electrical wires that are barely visible and simply cross the path.
Not to mention the unexpected encounter with a group of five large wild boars a few metres away on the same path, which is not very pleasant when you have almost no way of getting around them or crossing their path discreetly...
Our advice, therefore, is to set off with a printed map of this hike and not to take the section along the edge of the forest from point 8 to "point 109" on the map, but to go through the middle of the forest instead.
This hike would be much more enjoyable if the forest were better maintained.

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4641881059
4641881059

This confirms what I wrote about the old course.
I'll make a note of it for the new course.

Kind regards

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CRAPETTE
CRAPETTE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful route; be sure to visit St Léger Chapel. The medieval village of Lucheux is very beautiful, and there is a lovely picnic area near the wedding tree. The forest section is very pleasant, then a little challenging. Be sure not to miss the GR at point 12 (the GR trail is a little faded on the tree).
Les Millepattes

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4641881059
4641881059

Thank you for the information. This confirms my comment at the time, that a large part of it is impracticable, including the edge of the forest.

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prada62
prada62

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Avoid in strong winds (such as on 10 March in Hauts-de-France) due to the risk of falling trees.
I will do it again in summer when the paths are a little less muddy.
The route description is perfect, although we missed the right turn at the end of the long straight road in the Lucheux forest.

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4641881059
4641881059

Good to know. I know how impractical this sector is...

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joorange
joorange

The trail on the western edge is now virtually dead. The hike as you did it is now practically impossible.
I have changed the route: it is less wild but still enjoyable.

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joorange
joorange

Unfortunately, the trail on the western edge is practically dead. The hike as you did it is now virtually impossible.
I have changed the route: it is less wild but still enjoyable.

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4641881059
4641881059

I have already responded on this subject. The "Lucheux and its forest" route is certainly better than the Templars route, which largely follows the same path. Deplorable at the edge and the funnel pit.

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joorange
joorange

Out of curiosity, I turned left at the sign saying "you always have a choice". Before the cul-de-sac, it is possible to enter the woods and, relying on the map and the sound of cars, reach the D 5 north of the GR (barrier). It's fun, but a little complicated. Only for orienteering enthusiasts. In addition, you have to walk on the D5 to reach the GR.

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joorange
joorange

It would appear that all the marked trails in this part of the Somme have fallen into disuse. Hikers are clearly not of much interest to local councillors!

I did this hike again yesterday.

There are indeed a few tree trunks across the path, but they can be easily crossed and they protect the trail from quad bikes and motorcycles.

There are also a lot of dead branches, but if everyone clears two or three, the trail can quickly be cleared (I've started).

The main difficulty remains access to the Doullens path. For my part, faced with the wall of brush, I turned left towards the stream. All you have to do is cross it, then follow it to reach the Chemin de Doullens.

As for the Fosse Entonnoire, just follow the paths that have formed to avoid the puddles.

To avoid any problems, you can take the Voie Royale, a wide, straight path that I personally find uninteresting.

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