Heritage of the lower course of the Orneau River from Bothey

Starting from the church on Rue Joseph Draye in Bothey, a village of 300 inhabitants in the municipality of Gembloux, set off to discover the rich heritage of the lower Orneau valley. Landscapes, churches, chapels and castles will delight you along this undulating route. Alternating wooded and rural passages. Along the roads, the grassy verges are generally flat and well maintained. There are numerous facilities where you can take a break during your walk.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.17 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 165 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 159 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 166 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 97 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park near the church in Bothey.

(S/E) From Saint-Pierre Church, take Rue Louis Burteau between the monument and the farm. At the T-junction, continue along this street to the right. At the N29, turn right.
After the TEC bus stop, take Rue Saint Pierre on the left.

(1) At the fork, turn right onto the path, which becomes grassy after a few metres. Further on, do not go down into the private wood, but walk along the edge of it, staying on the edge of the farmland (stay on the side during sowing season). At the stone path, turn right.

(2) At the crossroads, go down the beautiful path on the left to the hamlet of Villeret. At the road, keep left.

(3) At the crossroads, turn right onto Rue de Villeret. Cross the bridge and at the next crossroads (small roundabout), ignore the roads to the right and left and take the road sloping upwards towards the village of Saint-Martin, Rue du Scadeau.

(4) Opposite No. 45, turn left onto the dirt track, which becomes a footpath. Further on, ignore the path that descends to the left. Continue along the beautiful, well-marked footpath that goes around the Mazy golf course. Above, turn right onto a tarmac road which, after a double bend, becomes grassy. Continue to the T-junction.

(5) Turn left onto Route de Saint Martin. Pass under the motorway bridge and, at the road, turn left (football pitch on your left).

(6) At the electricity substation, turn right. Leave Rue du Grand Bero and go down a narrow paved path. At the crossroads, go up Rue du Petit Tienne on the right. At number 7, go down a small path on the left. A little further on, before reaching the Orneau, read the instructions posted on a sign. Follow the course of the river.

(7) Pass a small bridge on your left and continue straight ahead until you reach the N912.

(8) At the road, turn left, cross the bridge over the Orneau and the railway line and, 150 metres further on, turn left into Rue Montolivet, then turn right into Rue Montserrat and follow it as it winds upwards (the most difficult part of the route).

(9) Before the chapel, turn left onto the right of way behind the house. After descending a steep path, cross the road. The path opposite will take you along the railway line.

(10) Before the river bridge, turn right onto the small path, cross the square of a housing estate and come out along a playground. Follow the "Onoz" sign.

(11) After the old Onoz mill on the Orneau, pass the village square towards Saint-Martin Church and take the Mazy road. Pass under the motorway and continue north.

(12) After Mielmont Castle on its rocky outcrop, pass under the railway line. Continue to the next crossroads along the wide grassy verge.

(13) At Château Ferme de Falnuée, continue right on the road towards Mazy. At the first crossroads, turn left onto Rue du Ranil and cross the river.

(14) On the right, before the TEC bus stop, take the path around the football field. Pass between two walls. At the exit, turn right onto Rue des Anciens Combattants. Cross the N93 road to Nivelles. To the right of the tavern, take Rue de Bossière, which runs alongside the river.

(15) After the bridge over the Orneau, leave the road and follow the river along a wide dirt track that will take you to the Sainte-Barbe Chapel. On the way, ignore the paths leading down to the right.

(16) Pass the stonemason's workshop and the Sainte-Barbe Chapel. At the road, cross the railway bridge. Continue along the road to the next intersection. Turn right onto Rue des Grands Ha. After the hill, continue along the road and walk alongside a well-maintained hedge.

(17) Opposite the entrance to the Vichenet property, turn left onto a wide farm track until you reach the Sainte-Anne chapel (halfway along, there is a small aeroplane).

(18) At the chapel, continue along Rue du Chêne. At the signpost, follow Bothey. Opposite Rue d'Alvaux, turn right onto Rue de la Ronce, then left onto Rue Joseph Draye, where you will find the church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 159 m - Église Saint-Pierre (Bothey)
  2. 1 : km 0.69 - alt. 145 m - Rue Saint-Pierre
  3. 2 : km 1.59 - alt. 142 m - GR junction
  4. 3 : km 2.49 - alt. 121 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 3.15 - alt. 135 m - Entrance to Saint-Martin
  6. 5 : km 4.77 - alt. 154 m - Saint-Martin road
  7. 6 : km 5.81 - alt. 118 m - Electric cabin
  8. 7 : km 6.38 - alt. 106 m - Bridge to be avoided - Orneau (rivière) - Belgique
  9. 8 : km 6.92 - alt. 98 m - N912 road
  10. 9 : km 8.19 - alt. 135 m - Chapelle Notre-Dame (Montserrat)
  11. 10 : km 8.65 - alt. 101 m - Bridge
  12. 11 : km 9.01 - alt. 101 m - Onoz village square
  13. 12 : km 9.7 - alt. 117 m - Spur of the - Château de Mielmont
  14. 13 : km 10.46 - alt. 115 m - Crossroads - Château-Ferme de Falnuée
  15. 14 : km 11.22 - alt. 108 m - TEC stop - Mazy football pitch
  16. 15 : km 12.13 - alt. 115 m - Bridge over the Orneau
  17. 16 : km 12.61 - alt. 118 m - Quarry - Chapelle Sainte-Barbe (Mazy)
  18. 17 : km 14.55 - alt. 144 m - Entrance to the Vichenet estate
  19. 18 : km 16.51 - alt. 166 m - Chapelle Sainte-Anne (Bothey)
  20. S/E : km 17.17 - alt. 159 m - Église Saint-Pierre (Bothey)

Notes

Benches at points (3) - (5) - (6) - (9).

Picnic table in the Onoz playground.

Tavern restaurant at the N93 junction in Mazy.

The Orneau River flows through numerous private properties, including a golf course and a château. We were forced to take a few more roads. The shoulders are generally passable.

Worth a visit

Saint-Pierre de Bothey Church, rebuilt in 1756.

Villeret keep, a former 13th-century fortified tower, restored in 1995.

The Orneau River flows through Gembloux, is 25 km long and is a tributary of the Sambre. It carved out the Spy Cave.

Chapel of Montserrat or the Black Madonna, dating from the 17th century and completely restored in 1997. A copy of the Spanish (Catalan) statue was installed in 1955 and then stolen in 1993. A new replica is currently in place. The hermitage and the original chapel have disappeared.

Onoz Mill, mentioned in 1575 on the River Orneau.

Saint-Martin Church in Onoz, dating back to the 15th century and restored in the 18th century.

Mielmont Castle overlooking the Orneau Valley. The square keep dates back to the 12th century.

Falnuée farm castle in Mazy, located at the confluence of the Orneau and Ligne rivers. In 1987, the building and grounds were converted into a golf course.

Chapel of Sainte-Barbe in Mazy (1850), patron saint of quarry workers. Quarries are very common in the region. The chapel is currently located at the entrance to a stone-cutting business.

Chapel of Sainte-Anne or Chapel of the Oak in Bothey, located at the crossroads of the "chat botté" and restored in 2011.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
3.7 / 5
Philippe Degeye
Philippe Degeye

Glad you had a good day.

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HARDIV
HARDIV

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

An easy hike.
Ideal for enjoying the sunshine.
Beautiful countryside before arriving at the Onoz section, which is very nice.

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Philippe Degeye
Philippe Degeye

Thank you very much for your comments. Please feel free to borrow my other itineraries.

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Ben 0562
Ben 0562

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did the route on Sunday in pretty freezing weather... so it was great that there weren't many people around!
There is indeed a fairly long stretch of road between Onoz and Mazy... and yes, motorists don't slow down at all... a question of respect for vulnerable road users... There's nothing you can do about that!
Just be careful between points 4 and 5 on the path that goes around the golf course, as the landowners have put up two barriers to keep out wild boars... so the path looks inaccessible!
Otherwise, everything is fine with the description... We completed the hike with our feet and shoes relatively clean for the winter season! Thank you for this route.

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Philippe Degeye
Philippe Degeye

Thank you.

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bernbla
bernbla

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike with very little elevation gain. It's true that there was a lot of tarmac, but given the rather "wet" conditions that day, my shoes are grateful for it.

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Philippe Degeye
Philippe Degeye

Thank you for the photo report. It's a work of art.

Very pleased with your

See you soon.

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bDom
bDom
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

SUPER... a well-planned route that takes you out of your comfort zone ;-) (A few roads, but not busy ones).
A lovely surprise: the castle... (check if it's open to the public).
Another: the Chapel of the Black Madonna,
and beautiful views...

The photo album >>> https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzKoqv <<<

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Philippe Degeye
Philippe Degeye

Every opinion deserves consideration. If you want trails and paths through fields and woods, you should hike my two other routes starting from Place Rabanere in Gembloux. Here, it was a search for heritage. Believe me, after numerous reconnaissance trips, there was nothing better.

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Ingrid2207
Ingrid2207

Overall rating : 2.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

I went on the hike today. I'm quite disappointed because there were too many roads for my liking, and they were often quite dangerous. There were no hard shoulders and cars rarely slowed down. This is obviously just my personal opinion. Some people prefer paved roads. Personally, I cut the route short at point 6 to arrive just after point 11. In the end, I still covered 15 km.
I had some trouble finding the path a little after point 1, where you come to some undergrowth and a field next to it. I crossed the undergrowth but couldn't find the path shown on the map. In the end, I found the route again and ended up at point 2.

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Philippe Degeye
Philippe Degeye

Thank you for your consistently positive feedback. The return journey from Mazy golf course could have been via Villeret, but that involves a busier and sometimes dangerous road. The golf course and Vivaqua reduce the options. The small aeroplane can break up the long straight stretch in favourable weather conditions.

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MumRose
MumRose

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Well done on your third route through the Gembloux region, with more wonderful discoveries.
The final stretch through the countryside is very long, and yesterday we also had the wind blowing straight in our faces... this miserable weather is not letting up!
Thank you for this wonderful hike!

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