Today's walk will from now on be known as 'Ironways'. The first half took us as close as possible along the route of the Chemin de Fer de la Fôret de Soignes, a short-lived route that opened in 1902 and ran between Petite Espinette on the Chaussée de Waterloo and Boitfort. It shut in 1918 at the end of the Great War, for reasons of profitability. I think there may have been other reasons but that will involve a bit more research.
Anyway, if you want to find out more, including where are the remining traces of this 2.5 km railway, then come on the next walk.
Now a few words on the last part of the walk which followed the Vuylbeek valley, nowadays a protected National Reserve. A full report about it came out in 2019 and you can find it here.
There was little in the way of water in the part between the railway (just at the junction of the Chemin des Deux Montagnes at the Boitsfort end) and the Drève de l'Infante and apart from some of the ponds
there was little water in evidence especially in the streambeds. The floodplains were dry and aquatic life had little refuge. It is the streambeds which apparently give the 'Foul Beck' its name. The word 'vuyl' can have the meaning of 'stained' which could refer to the discolouration caused by iron deposits. Further along water was flowing again, presumeably from the many ferruginous springs and frog spawn was much in evidence.
I didn't see this plaque for the Centennial Oak from pre-Covid times, but perhaps was distracted and missed it. I'll go back by myself soon enough, the photo was from a few years ago.
And now we have a fallen tree across the path, something almost mystical, a favourite section of the path for me.
The next walk will be this coming Sunday at 10:30 and will be about Racecources and Religion, departing from Groendaal. Details can be found here.
Here is a link to an earlier incarnation of this site talking about parts of this walk which I can no longer update. You may find it interesting.