Geodetic reference point

The geodesic reference point, popularly known as the "Bonhomme de fer" (the little iron guy), is located at the southern end of the forest. Together with 85 other elevated points (including the hill of the Lion of Waterloo, the belfry of Mons, etc.), it contributed to the drawing of the map of Belgium in the 19th century, using triangulation. Later, it was used for the precise calculation of latitude and longitude, altitude, gravity, etc. Even though modern arithmetic systems have long since forgotten it, the « Bonhomme de fer » remains a silent witness to our history and to the ingenuity of our ancestors.

Gregor Legein