Wavrin - Don-Sainghin via the lodge

Start from Wavrin station.

(S) With your back to the station, head left, cross Rue du Général de Gaulle and take Rue de la Libération. At the end of the street, go straight on along the Chemin du Brognard, then turn right into Rue des Résistants. At Rue Faidherbe, turn left and continue to the German military cemetery.

(1) Turn right onto Chemin du Bois de la Lodge. Take the first right onto Chemin de Larome, then turn left onto Chemin de Beussignies and continue straight on until you reach the sewage treatment plant.

(2) Turn right onto Chemin de la Lodge to enter the La Gîte site. At the first junction after the bridge over the Tortue, continue straight on along the Sentier des Longs Riez. At the next junction, turn left to climb the embankment. At the top of the embankment, turn right.

(3) As you approach the first right-hand bend, take the Perchoir footbridge, which zigzags high up through the trees. At the end of the footbridge, follow the path to the left. When you reach the edge of the Canal de la Deûle, turn left and head towards a viewpoint.

(4) Take the footbridge that winds through the clearing. At the exit of the viewpoint, take the path to the left and follow it out of the woods to the junction near the Relais Nature (Maison Monblond).

(5) Turn right, walk past the Relais Nature and join the D63. Cross the bridge over the Canal de la Deûle and head down to the right to join the towpath.

(6) Walk past the entrance to Parc Mosaïc and continue along the canal.

(7) Cross the Canal de Seclin and pass under the Wavrin bridge. Continue straight on for approximately 1,500 metres.

(8) Just before the Ansereuilles bridge, turn left onto a path that starts at the edge of the woods. Logs have been placed over the ditch to make it easier to cross. As you leave the woods, continue along the path that climbs to the right. In the clearing, turn left along the right-hand edge. At the end of the clearing, stay on the path to the right to return towards the Canal de la Deûle. Turn left above the staircase (closed off), follow the path which naturally leads onto the towpath and pass under the Ansereuilles Bridge.

(9) Shortly after the bridge, take the path leading into the woods and follow it until you return to the towpath. Turn left, then immediately left again to re-enter the woods. As you leave the woods, continue to the right and return to the towpath. Follow it to the left.

(10) After the three high-voltage pylons, take the double flight of steps on the left. Then take the first path on the right, which initially runs along the edge of the woods. Follow this path to a metal gate at the edge of the woods. Turn right and continue straight on to re-enter the woods. Turn left twice to take a path running parallel to and overlooking the towpath. At the end of the path, turn right and return to the towpath. Follow it to the left and pass under the Don Bridge.

(11) Turn left onto Rue de l’Egalité and continue to Don Cemetery. Take the path on the right, running alongside the cemetery, and enter Parc de la Louvière. Walk along the large pond to the left. At the end of the pond, follow the path to the left, skirting two smaller ponds.

On leaving the woods, take the grassy path that follows the edge until you return to the northern tip of the large pond. Take the gravel path to the left, which leads onto the towpath near the Don lock. Then turn right, pass the lock and Rue de l’Égalité, then take the small path on the right which joins Rue Anatole France (D41).

(12) Cross the Deûle Canal and continue to the junction of Rue Camille Desmoulins and Rue de l’Abbé Leman. Turn right into Rue de l’Abbé Leman and head towards the church. Continue to the end of the street, passing a school.

(13) Cross to the opposite side to go round the sports ground on the right and join the D41. Turn right, cross the old Deûle Canal and turn left at the roundabout. Turn right into Rue Émile Combes and, before the level crossing, turn left to reach Don-Sainghin station (E).

- Check train timetables on the SNCF website before setting off on your walk.
- If no trains are available at your preferred times, visit the Ilévia website; bus 61 also runs between the two stations. It is also possible to book a bus at least one hour in advance. In this case, it is the 61R service.
- If you are using your own vehicle to get there, it is best to leave it at the arrival station and travel to the start point by train. This way, you won’t be tied to a timetable on arrival.
- Between (8) and (9), the path begins to be overgrown in places. It remains visible, but it is best to wear trousers or gaiters if you wish to avoid stinging nettles and other plants.
- In wet weather, some sections on the unpaved southern bank of the Deûle Canal can get quite muddy.

The walk features three natural areas of particular interest, both in terms of the landscape and the flora and fauna:
- The site of the lodge was, over thirty years ago, a vast dumping ground for sludge and other rubbish and industrial waste. Today, following extensive restoration work, the site offers numerous paths winding through woods and marshes where you can admire a variety of flora and fauna in complete tranquillity.
- Parc Mosaïc is a landscaped park paying tribute to people of all nationalities who have contributed, or continue to contribute, to the richness of the Lille metropolitan area. If you have time to spare, why not pay it a quick visit? Please note that there is an admission charge here.
- The La Louvière site forms part of the chain of parks that make up the Parc de la Deûle. Created in 1990 on a former branch of the Deûle, it covers an area of 10 hectares and features three ponds. A willow grove has grown there naturally and, of course, the area has been colonised by a rich and varied array of flora and fauna.
Beyond these three sites, leaving the towpath to take parallel paths also means setting off to discover nature of great beauty and unexpected richness.