Kaster and the Zyptevallei

Hardening: alternating stepping stones, paved & unpaved roads

Start: St. Peter's Church, Juliaan Claerhoutstraat, Kaster. We use the junctions (KP in text) in the walking network 'Land of Streuvels'.

Public transport: on weekdays, Anzegem station (at walking junction 3)

Kaster is first mentioned as Castra in 1075 and is derived from the Latin 'castrum', which seems to refer to the presence of a Roman military camp. In the border areas of the Roman Empire, place names often refer to a defensive function. Already in 1641, Roman coins were found in Kaster, and in the 20th century, roof tile remnants and clear signs of a real settlement core (1st-3rd century) with Roman houses, both in Kaster and Tiegem. During Roman times, the municipality was cut from south to north by the Roman road Bavai - Oudenburg.

1. We start at St. Peter's Church in Kaster (KP 19-20). With our back to the church, we walk down the cobbled Juliaan Claerhoutstraat to the Bevrijdingslaan (N382), heading towards KP21.

St. Peter's Church is surrounded by linden trees, which are unfortunately quite heavily pruned. The tower is topped by a beautiful bell-shaped slate spire, which we will see rising on the horizon from afar during the walk. Juliaan Claerhout was the pastor of Kaster from 1911 to 1929. He was a local historian and archaeologist who once developed a now-vanished folklore museum in Kaster.

2. Note: here we cross the busy N382 at the zebra crossing, stepping left past the derelict farm gate. On the facade of the house, you can see the date 1759. We immediately turn right again, towards Butsegem. The imposing mansion behind the iron gate at the corner is part of the old farm. At KP 21 , we turn right to KP 22 and then left to KP 26. The stepping stone path begins behind the inviting seating area with tree logs. On the right, we have a view of the rolling fields, but also of the many high-voltage pylons. We emerge onto Bassegembosstraat.

Bassegem is the name of an old lordship whose center was the beautiful white farm further to the left.

3. At KP 26, we turn right to KP 25 and there left to KP97. From there, we head towards KP 98. A few meters further, at no. 24, you can see a beautiful natural garden. On the left, we have a stunning view of Sint-Arnolduspark and Tiegemberg (79 m). On the right, we pass the (closed) entrance of Bassegembos.

In fact, Tiegemberg is a fossilized sandbank from an ancient sea, also referred to as a 'testifying hill'. The differences in relief originate from the erosion of sand dunes that were originally covered with iron sandstone formations. On and around the ridge lies a source area with typical spring biotopes that feed the brook valleys. The hilltops nearby are also called 'clay tops' with a wet surface unsuitable for agriculture.

4. Further along at KP 98, we turn right along Bassegembos. You can rest at the bench-lounger combination. At the end of the forest, we need to go through 2 field gates. We follow the earthen path to KP 99, by the farm on Oudepontstraat.

The Bassegembos is a fairly small nature reserve (6 ha), rather isolated among various meadows. It is a very valuable oak forest with a lot of wild hyacinth, the eye-catcher in early spring. Additionally, we find oak, ash, maple, and gray poplar, as well as coppice with sweet chestnut and ash. The forest edges are quite richly developed with elm, red dogwood, Spanish oak, and sweet cherry. The forest is an ideal resting and breeding place for various birds of prey, including the buzzard. Other birds, such as the great spotted woodpecker and the green woodpecker, the jay, and the treecreeper, thrive here. This forest was long in noble hands and served mainly as a hunting ground and for timber extraction. Thus, it escaped agricultural exploitation over the years.

The forest is only accessible upon request via email to natuurpuntanzegem@telenet.be

5. Now we step left to KP1 and at the Zyptestraat, we turn right to KP2. In the distance to the left, we see the flattened church tower of Anzegem, destroyed by fire on 16/10/2014.

At Zyptestraat, we get a view of the Nederbeek (or Zyptebeek) valley.

This springs higher up in the area at Sint-Arnolduspark. With the Municipal Spatial Structure Plan, this beautiful valley is protected as a supra-local brook valley.

This does not prevent the province of West Flanders from having established a route for a ring road around Anzegem just after the municipal elections of 2018... Plans for a ring have been protested for years by the majority of the Anzegem population.

6. Note: be careful when crossing Bevrijdingslaan (N382). To the right of fry shop 'De fijnproever'(!) we take the path leading to Langestraat. There, turn right to KP 2 (sign is left of the footpath next to the roadway). At KP 2 right, stepping stones to KP 11.

In 1868, the Brussels-Kortrijk railway line was established with a station in Anzegem. This attracted new businesses such as the textile company Lepoutre, then the largest employer in Anzegem. Now the buildings are occupied by the packaging company Abriso and all transport to and from the company is done by road! The railway has long played almost no role in freight transport, and the service for passenger transport is minimal: only trains still stop at the stations of Vichte and Anzegem on weekdays.

7. Follow at KP 11 the stepping stones to KP 10, through the horse meadows. To the left, you can see the church of Grijsloke (53 m high). At Neerbeekstraat, to the right to KP 10, right near a restored farm. From there straight on to KP 12 and further to KP 13. There turn left towards KP 14. Along the Bergwegel, halfway between KP 13 and 14, you are at the highest point (52.5 m) of the walk and can enjoy a wide view. In the distance, you can recognize the St. Walburga church of Oudenaarde and to the west of it, the Kwaremont and the Kluisberg! On the horizon, the spire of St. Peter's Church slowly comes into view.

From here the brook valleys extend towards the Schelde. The drop of the brooks from Tiegemberg to the Scheldevlakte is usually faster, shorter, and steeper, with more risk of erosion, than on the other side towards the Leie. The landscape primarily consists of rolling 'kouters', with landscape-valuable agricultural land. We call them 'kouters' because there have been large fields on fertile sandy loam since the early Middle Ages, drained and easy to cultivate, characterized by an open view, without vegetated parcel edges.

8. Near the church of Kaster, we go left around, via KP 14 to KP 15 & 16. To the right, at Langedreef, among the greenery, is the Corbie farm.

* At the white chapel, you can shorten the walk by one kilometer by turning right to KP 17 and walking back to the start point (KP20).

At Zelestraat we see the Halendries district in the wet valley of the Kasterbeek to the right. You see less expansive fields than before, but smaller plots with hedges and wood edges. In this valley, two moated farms were preserved in Kaster, which formed the center of a lordship, the Goed te Corbie and the Goed te Bassegem, which we saw at the beginning of the walk.

9. For the full 8 km, we walk left at the white chapel, towards KP 7 along Zelestraat. At the next T-junction, at the brick chapel, we do not continue left to KP 7, but turn right towards Elsegem. Further on, keep right again; no longer towards Elsegem. At the next junction, keep right and at the end of Broekstraat, we reach the cobbles of 'Varent', the regional road N 382a. We turn right, between chapel and cross, towards KP 17.

The Varentstraat is a well-known cobbled area for cyclists that connects Kerkhove and Schelde with Kaster. It was only in 1891 that the road was paved and later lined with ashes. Due to Kaster's Roman past, it is claimed that the road at this point originally formed part of the old Roman heir road Bavai - Oudenburg. It was recently restored to increase safety and to qualify again as a passage in the Tour of Flanders.

10. At the end of the Varent, we pass right by the beautiful moated farm Corbie and still have a nice view of Kluisberg on the left. We turn right at KP 17 between the houses, also up the stairs, and back to the starting point at KP 19-20.

The historical farm 'Goed te Corbie' is named after the famous abbey of Corbie (15 km from Amiens) on the Somme in Picardy. The oldest mentions date back to 1200. The farm buildings are surrounded by a wide water moat. The farm complex has grown into a large arable farming business of about 100 ha. A beautiful cobbled driveway with tall poplars.

This walk was designed by Pol Ostyn and was previously published in Klimop 2019-1. All photos are by Pol Ostyn and Bernard Decock.

Klimop is the membership magazine of Natuur.koepel vzw. More info: http://www.natuurkoepel.be