Tour de Wallonie 2 Braine-le-Comte – Meslin-l'Evèque

(S) Head east-northeast to reach the crossroads. At the junction of Rue de Mons and Rue d’Horrue, go down the latter and continue straight on at every junction. You will soon leave the town of Braine-le-Comte behind and find yourself in the countryside.

(1) Then turn left onto Rue Scaubecq. After going downhill and then steeply uphill, in the hamlet of Les Carmes, turn right to join Chemin d’Horrues.

(2) Follow it straight ahead, making a slight first turn left then right. Ignore all paths and roads coming from the right or left. You will pass the Château-Ferme du Bouquiau until you reach a T-junction.

(3) Turn right to stay on the Chemin d'Horrues. Ignore a path on the right and, at the next junction, turn right onto the Chemin de Berjotin, which leads you to the Chaussée d'Enghien.

(4) Turn right onto the Chemin d’Hubeaumel . Watch out for traffic. At the "Y" junction, follow the right-hand branch and at the next "Y" junction, take the left-hand one. You’ll walk alongside the Senne for a few metres before turning right into Ruelle du Maréchal. You’ll enter Horrues. At the crossroads, continue in the same direction along Rue du Pontin and carry on until the third crossroads.

(5) Turn left onto Chemin du Largepied. At the next junction, the path continues to the left. Follow it straight on until you reach Chaussée Brunehaut, which you cross to join Chaussée de Lessines. Watch out for traffic.

(6) Cross the road. Opposite, take Chemin de la Ferme de l’Escale and continue straight on until you reach the farm in question, where the path becomes Rue d’Horrues. Continue straight on until you reach the first junction and a few houses. To the right, a farm track leads uphill. Take it; this is the GR® 121 from Wavre to Bon-Secours. Continue along the edge of the Bois de Cambron.

(7) Cross Rue du Noir Jambon, taking a slight first turn left then right to continue into the woods. Be careful: take the path closest to the edge of the woods. At the end of the woods, a small dirt track followed by a road takes you to Rue de Silly, opposite the Thoricourt Castle estate. To see the courtyard and the main building, take a short detour of about a hundred metres to the left, then retrace your steps.

(8) Leave the GR® and continue straight ahead along Rue de Silly, which becomes Chemin Cinq-Rue Mauvinage at the first junction – keep going straight on – until you reach a T-junction. Let Rue Mauvinage branch off to the right and follow the left-hand branch, which leads onto the N523. Turn right onto Rue Gambremont.

(9) Turn right onto the Chaussée de Ghislenghien. Cross carefully and take the cycle path on the other side to the left. Ignore the two streets branching off to your right and take the next one on the left, the Chemin de Silly. Cross carefully. The path veers to the right, then at the first junction, turn right onto Chemin de l’Hostée to join Chaussée de Soignies, which you follow to the left – Caution: no verges! – until you reach Chaussée de Bruxelles.

(10) Cross at the traffic lights and, after a left-right turn, continue straight ahead along Rue de Ghislenghien. Ignore all streets on the right (2) and left (3) until you come within sight of the N57. Just before this, turn right onto Chemin de Mons à Gand. First turn left then right, leaving Chemin Guyot on your left and then Chemin Royal further on. Continue left onto Chemin des Donsarts.

(11) Cross the Chaussée de Grammont – N57 – with care and continue straight ahead. You are now entering the Ghislenghien industrial estate. Turn immediately right into Rue des Foudriers, then take the first left, Chemin des Fundus. At the T-junction, take Avenue des Artisans, the finish of the stage (S/E).