Watermill Trail in Felleries

This route is aimed at experienced walkers but offers the chance to discover typical Avesnois villages and, above all, four watermills on the Belleuse and the Helpe Majeure.

Details

1557242
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.46 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 71 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 72 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 220 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 149 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park near the Musée des Bois Jolis in Felleries.

(S/E) Opposite the museum entrance, climb the few steps leading to the mill’s windmill (display 1).
Turn left onto the path running alongside the Belleuse (a small stream).

(1) You’ll reach Rue de la Poste; follow it to the right. Cross at the pedestrian crossing, then turn left into Rue du Rayt. Walk down the street to the mill (stop 2), on your right. Continue left, still on Rue du Rayt, then take the first right onto Rue Vilaine (D104).

(2) At the junction, turn left onto Rue des Écoles. After about 200 m, turn right onto the small, gravel-surfaced path through the hedgerows. You will reach Rue du Chemin Vert; turn left onto Rue du Chemin Vert

(3) At the crossroads, turn right onto Rue du Monument towards Beugnies. Ride on the left-hand pavement and then onto the grass verge.

(4) At the last house in the village, turn left. At the junction with Rue du Cimetière, turn right, then at the three-way junction 50 metres further on, keep right onto Chemin de la Large Batterie. This small road follows the edge of the Bois de la Grande Vilette (Pupitre 3)

(5) At the Croix des Fusillés crossroads, turn left onto Chemin de la Taquennerie towards Flaumont-Waudrechies. Staying on this path, cross the woods for just over 1000m (information boards 4 and 5).

(6) After the hamlet of La Taquennerie, take the first small road on the right, then 30 metres further on, opposite the oratory, take the path on the left (Pupitre 6). Continue to the hamlet of Ferme à Briques

(7) At the crossroads, go straight ahead and then, very quickly, take the road that goes down to the left.

(8) In the village of Flaumont Waudrechies, take the first street on the left, Rue Communale du Chauffour.
At the three-way junction, keep right onto Rue de la Mairie, then take the road straight ahead that runs through a small housing estate.
Cross the D104 with care, take the path leading down opposite, cross the small bridge and follow the path back up to join a street.

(9) Turn right onto this street, then turn left towards the church. At the church, climb the few steps on the left to take the small path that runs alongside the church and cross over the Helpe Majeure. Join the road, leaving the mill on your right (signpost 7).

(10) Turn left, then left twice more until you reach, on the left, the path that runs alongside the Helpe Majeure and its meanders; you will then be following the GR® de Pays de l'Avesnois.

(11) When you reach the crossroads, take the tarmac road on the left, Rue d'Avesnelles. In the village of Sémeries (signpost 8), take Rue de Brode on the left, then Rue de la Mairie, and cross the bridge over the Helpe.

(12) At the crossroads, turn right onto Rue de Ramousies. Pass the mill on the right (signpost 9). Turn left just before the cemetery to take the gravel path. At the fork shortly afterwards, follow the path on the left.

(13) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead onto Chemin Central. This is an old railway line that leads straight on to Felleries. Further on, the Moulin du Bois is on the left (information board 10).

(14) On the outskirts of Felleries, walk along the left-hand side of the football pitch and go down the small lane that passes near the campsite and over the Belleuse (a stream that flows past the mill). Go round the Felleries village hall and turn right onto Rue de la Mairie to reach the Musée des Bois (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 171 m - Musée des Bois Jolis de Felleries
  2. 1 : km 0.59 - alt. 175 m - Rue de la Poste
  3. 2 : km 1.25 - alt. 185 m - Rue des Écoles
  4. 3 : km 1.85 - alt. 187 m - Rue du Monument
  5. 4 : km 2.01 - alt. 188 m - Path on the left
  6. 5 : km 3.53 - alt. 214 m - Cross of the Executed
  7. 6 : km 6.51 - alt. 194 m - Turn right
  8. 7 : km 8.11 - alt. 182 m - Brick Farm
  9. 8 : km 8.75 - alt. 155 m - Rue communale du Chauffour
  10. 9 : km 9.3 - alt. 160 m - Street on the right
  11. 10 : km 9.74 - alt. 150 m - Turn left
  12. 11 : km 12.21 - alt. 155 m - Turn left
  13. 12 : km 13.46 - alt. 154 m - Rue de Ramousies
  14. 13 : km 14.22 - alt. 161 m - Path opposite
  15. 14 : km 16.84 - alt. 174 m - Walk alongside the football pitch
  16. S/E : km 17.46 - alt. 171 m - Musée des Bois Jolis de Felleries

Notes

In wet weather, waterproof footwear is essential.

Worth a visit

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 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
3.6 / 5
isav59nord
isav59nord

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

I did it... But I wouldn't do it again: far too much tarmac!
Maybe do it by bike?
The nicest part is from Sèmeries onwards, when you follow the old railway line leading to Felleries, which is actually part of the Fache d'Ahant route.

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Roued'herbe
Roued'herbe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Done on a mountain bike.

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Roued'herbe
Roued'herbe
• Edited:

A lovely walk, but be careful: trees have fallen across the old railway line between Sémeries and Felleries.

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isav59nord
isav59nord

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Far too much tarmac for my liking (48% of the route!).
I’d recommend doing it by mountain bike instead.
The mills are pretty (it’s a shame about the one in Semeries, which was actually quite lovely: you can only see it from the side now because there’s too much vegetation in front of it and it doesn’t seem to be maintained by the owners anymore) and that’s the interesting part for people who aren’t from the area.

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Chloé&Ben
Chloé&Ben

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk offering views of some beautiful buildings. It took us just over five hours as we stopped for a picnic by the water and took it easy in the sweltering heat. There were a few pleasant, shaded sections where we could cool off.
An interesting route for exploring the Avesnois region, which follows footpaths rather than just the road (although there are sections of road too).

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elocques
elocques

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable

An interesting route. It’s a shame that between points 3 and 6 it’s just tarmac.
Very good after point 8.
We found a brasserie off the route 1.5 km away at N50.114951 E3.949184

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phdelvigne
phdelvigne

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A walk undertaken by my wife and myself, both aged 68. It took us five and a quarter hours to complete the circular route, including a 20-minute snack break. The signposting is excellent, painted yellow like a GR trail, with wooden signposts. The route between Flaumont-Wandrechies and Felleries follows the old railway line, where the moderately compacted ballast means you’ll need sturdy, comfortable shoes. Villages and countryside typical of the Avesnois region.

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