Mills and kiosks of the two Helpes

Place de l'Église in Dourlers.

(S/E) With your back to the church, turn right onto Place Stroh and continue straight on Rue Là-Haut.

(1) Turn left onto Route de Saint-Aubin, which becomes Rue de Dourlers. At the end, turn left onto the D121, then turn right onto Rue d'En Haut, which then becomes Route de Saint-Rémy.

(2) At the T-junction, turn right, cross the woods and continue straight ahead on the main road.
At Le Pont de Planche, follow the street that turns left onto Rue de Saint-Aubin.

(3) At the fork, follow the road on the right and continue straight ahead

(4) After the village square of Saint-Rémy-Chaussée, turn left at the T-junction.

(5) At the end, turn left onto Route d'Avesnes.

(6) Turn right onto Rue de Verdun. Stop to look at the old mill on your left.

(7) At the crossroads, continue right along Rue de Verdun. Go straight ahead and cross the centre of Monceau-Saint-Waast.

(8) Turn left onto Rue Quéant (D517).

(9) Cross the railway line. At the four-way crossroads, continue straight ahead along Rue du Bout du Diable.

(10) Continue straight ahead (D517), Ferme du Bois, which becomes Rue du Monceau, and pass the water tower.

(11) At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue de Leval.

(12) Keep right onto Rue du Pont. Pass the Helpe Majeure and enter Taisnières-en-Thiérache.
There is a shorter alternative route (see description in practical information)

(13) Pass the square and turn left onto Rue de Marbaix.

(14) At the fork, turn left and then, after the bend, take the path on the left (closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) to admire the Moulin du Bocage. Turn left onto Rue de Marbaix as you leave this path.

(15) At the fork, turn left onto Rue de Marbaix (D117). Then follow Rue de Taisnières and pass Petit Viviau.

(16) At the entrance to Marbaix, follow the left-hand path Rue de Taisnières. Cross the centre of the village of Marbaix, pass in front of the church and continue straight on to the departmental road.

(17) Continue straight ahead on Rue de Cartignies, crossing the D962 with caution.

(18) At the fork (farm), turn left onto Rue de Cartignies.

(19) At the four-way crossroads, continue straight ahead and pass Le Foyau.

(20) At the T-junction, turn right onto Chemin de Dompierre and continue straight ahead.

(21) At the crossroads, Le Pont de Pierre, continue straight ahead on Chemin de Dompierre and pass the Helpe Majeure.

(22) At the T-junction, turn left onto Rue du Village and pass the cemetery. Continue straight ahead on Route de Fayt.

(23) At the end of this street, turn left onto Route de Prisches and head towards Cartignies.

(24) At the crossroads, follow the road on the left, Rue du Grand Rieu. Cross Cartignies via Place Fernand Wargnie (dance hall and church).

(25) After the square, follow Rue Roger Lebon to the right, towards Avesnes-sur-Helpe via the D124, and you will see the watermill on your right as you cross the Helpe Mineure.

(26) Turn right onto Route d'Avesnes-sur-Helpe, continue straight ahead and ignore two streets on the left.

(27) Take the third street on the left, Chemin du Sarlicot, go straight ahead, then follow Rue du Bois Bernier and pass La Ferme du Bois.

(28) At the crossroads, turn left onto Chemin de Coutant (you can visit Coutant Castle on the right).
Then, at the next T-junction (chapel hidden in the trees on the left), turn right onto Chemin du Petit Coutant and continue straight ahead.

(29) At the crossroads, turn left, then at the give way sign, cross the D962 road with caution and continue straight ahead on Chaussée Brunehaut.
You will reach Grand Fuchau after passing L'Helpe Majeure. Note the water mill at the bridge.

(30) At the crossroads, turn left and cross the hamlet. Cross the railway line and continue straight on Voie Communale Brunehaut, which then becomes La Lobiette

(31) At the crossroads, turn right, go round the roundabout and take the second right, RD124, Route de Saint-Aubin, and go straight on at the four-way crossroads.

(32) At the four-way crossroads, continue straight ahead on Route de Saint-Aubin, pass the place called Pont des Loups and continue straight ahead on Chemin Les Haies des Loups.

(33) At the four-way junction, turn right towards Petit Moulin. In the bend after the bridge, you will see Petit Moulin on your left. Follow the main road.
At the Petit Moulin crossroads, turn left and continue straight ahead, following the bends.

(34) Keep right on Rue des Bodelez, then turn left at the Bodeletz fork and continue straight ahead.

(35) At the fork, continue along the road on the right towards Rue du Ponceau.

(36) At the four-way crossroads, go straight ahead onto Rue du Ponceau (take care!).

(37) At the T-junction, turn right and continue straight ahead until you reach the four-way junction.
Turn left onto Rue Jean Coin, follow the road and take the first right onto Place Stroh to return to the village centre and Place de l'Église (S/E).

Follow the white and green signs showing a bicycle, sometimes supplemented by the name of the route, "Moulins et kiosques des deux Helpes" (Mills and Kiosks of the Two Helpes).

Take care when crossing the D962 road.

Short version: 10.4 km
Follow the description of the main route to (12).
Turn left onto Rue de Dompierre. Continue straight on Route de Taisnières and ignore all side roads.
At Dompierre-sur-Helpe, turn left at the crossroads. After the church, turn right onto Rue de la Brasserie (do not take the bridge). Pass in front of the Saint-Etton fountain and the old dairy.
At the fork, continue on the road to the left, Rue du Passe Temps. At the next fork, turn right towards Passe Temps, but before you get there, at the fork, turn left onto Chemin de Saint-Hilaire. At the T-junction, turn left towards Grand Fuchau and rejoin the main route on the left. Then follow the main description at (30).

Connection to the "Moulins et kiosques en Fagne de Solre" route.
At the church in Dourlers, turn right at the stop sign onto Rue d'Azouries.
At the stop sign, follow the signs for Floursies, take Rue du Moulin to Floursies church and join the Moulins et Kiosques en Pays d'Avesnes cycle route.

Town of Avesnes-sur-Helpe

Cheese dairy at the Pont des Loups farm in Saint-Aubin