One kilometre beyond Hill 285 is the Sept-Fontaines cross-roads, where stood a French dressing-station, facing the road going towards the Mont-de-Villers.
Keep straight on: 1 km. 800 further on, at the cross-roads, near the site of the Forest Keeper’s Lodge, there is a large military cemetery. The Lodge was completely destroyed.
2 km. 300 further on, Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads is reached. Fifty yards this side of the cross-roads, on the left, is the shelter where Lieutenant de Courson met a glorious death in 1915 (photo, p. 110).
At Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads, where the Neuvilly road (on the left) and the Clermont road (in front) start, turn to the right into the road leading to Chalade (called Chemin des Romains).
Pass an old camp (Camp Monhoven), then 1 km. beyond Croix-de-Pierre leave the Claon road on the left.
Two kilometres further on there is a sharp descent leading to G.C. 22, which take on the right for 1 km. to Chalade.
The village of Chalade grew up around a monastery founded in 1120 by Robert and Riouin, monks of the Abbey of St. Vanne at Verdun.
The Abbey, occupied first by the Benedictines, and afterwards (from 1127) by the Cistercians, was placed under the care of the Bishops of Verdun, protected by the Lords of Vienne-le-Château.
The monks drained the marshes of the valley of the Biesme and cultivated the slopes.
The Abbey church, begun in 1275, was never finished.