Stele in the Bois de Courton from Nanteuil-la-Forêt

This short hike in the woods will be of interest to First World War enthusiasts as it passes by the memorial stone honouring the soldiers ofthe 35th Infantry Regiment who fell between 17 July and 3 August 1918 in the Bois de Courton.

Please respect the area, as the woods are probably private property. Avoid during hunting season.

Details

3304401
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.21 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 102 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 93 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 259 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 165 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is in the centre of the village, Place des Cahouriaux, where there is a bus stop and a few carpooling spots.

(S/E) Take Ruelle des Cahouriaux to a crossroads.

(1) At the crossroads, turn right onto the path that crosses the fields.

(2) At the T-junction, turn right and walk to the pond.

(3) Continue along the path that runs alongside the pond and climbs into the woods.

(4) After about 500 metres, at the crossroads, turn left for a few metres, then immediately right, continuing uphill in the same direction as the previous path. Pass under the power line, then cross the woods to a T-junction.

(5) Turn left at the crossroads and continue along the forest road. The road is initially very straight, then turns left and then right. You will come to a sign indicating the direction of Bois de Chaumuzy. The stele is nearby, in a cluster of trees.

(6) After the stele, continue along the forest road, which passes under the power line again.

(7) At the crossroads, turn left. The woods contain oak trees that are several hundred years old. Pass an abandoned caravan and walk to the end of the forest road.

(8) Turn right onto the narrow path that descends through the woods. After 300 metres, you will reach farmland. Continue to the village.

(1) At the crossroads, continue straight ahead and walk to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 187 m - Place des Cahouriaux
  2. 1 : km 0.21 - alt. 197 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 0.61 - alt. 193 m - T-junction
  4. 3 : km 1.32 - alt. 168 m - Courton Pond
  5. 4 : km 1.97 - alt. 203 m - Crossroads
  6. 5 : km 2.5 - alt. 246 m - T-junction after the power line.
  7. 6 : km 4.06 - alt. 257 m - Stele
  8. 7 : km 5.15 - alt. 259 m - Crossroads
  9. 8 : km 6.24 - alt. 252 m - Small path on the right
  10. S/E : km 7.21 - alt. 187 m - Place des Cahouriaux

Notes

Wear sturdy shoes and trousers, as some of the paths are poorly maintained.
To find the stele (which is not very visible), the app will be a plus.
There are no cafés or shops in Nanteuil-la-Forêt.

Worth a visit

Park house in Pourcy, a few kilometres away.

Presle Botanical Park, a few kilometres away.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Sylvaindu29
Sylvaindu29

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk. On a sunny day, it would be better to spend more time in the woods than on the forest path. We enjoyed this short hike.

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pavois51
pavois51

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and memorable walk to the memorial stone.
However, the section between 5 and 6 is uninteresting, following a straight forest road that is too rocky. It would have been better to take the more vegetated path at the foot of the power line.
In summary, a beautiful start with the pond, an interesting memorial stone and a lovely end in the woods, but the rest is best avoided...
Room for improvement!

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virgule
virgule

I will go back there to take a look and check the situation when the forestry work and hunting season are over, which will be next spring.

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virgule
virgule

The purpose of this route is not so much the walk itself as the desire to remember the men who died there for their country. Unfortunately, there are memorials like this one scattered throughout our woods. If they are forgotten, they will eventually disappear. Volunteers maintain these memorials, and we are grateful to them.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for this review.

As stated in the introduction:

Please respect the area, as the woods are likely privately owned. Avoid visiting during hunting season.

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GILLET
GILLET

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At number 5, the sign indicating the direction of Chaumuzy Wood has disappeared. As there is currently forestry work being carried out, the stele is very visible.
Number 4 is useless. Just follow the path up into the woods, pass under the power line, then cross the woods to the T-junction.
At number 7: at the first crossroads, turn left and at the second crossroads, turn left again and walk to the end of the forest path. You will come to a dead end. Take a small forest path on the right.
We missed the second crossroads and arrived at the end of the forest path (closed barrier) which leads to the road to Nanteuil la Forêt.

PLEASE NOTE: THESE WOODS ARE PRIVATE PROPERTY. There are private property signs everywhere, and you should not go there during hunting season.

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pierro51
pierro51

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Sunday hike with a small group of people with mental disabilities.
An easy and peaceful hike that was greatly appreciated by the group!
Good signage and very peaceful!
Thank you.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you!

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5marcheur1
5marcheur1

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Excellent description!

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virgule
virgule

Thank you, Francis, for your kind review.

It is indeed a very quiet area.

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Francis BUREAU
Francis BUREAU

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I missed point 7 because at the crossroads (which I didn't recognise as such) I didn't pay attention to the barely visible path on the right. I quickly realised my mistake thanks to the map and got back on the right track. I found the explanations perfect.
I thought this hike would be very shady, but because of the many areas cleared by foresters, more than 50% of the route was in full sun.
I found all the paths to be easily passable.
The stele is close to the path and easy to see (look to the right).

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