The Acon Valley

Balisage Continuité d'itinéraire Mauvaise direction Changement de direction Corbie Woods 0 250 500 750 1 km Acon Valley D 1001 Amiens La Chaussée Sarrazin Tirancourt Ditch D 191 Caracou Woods Caesar’s Camp (Future) Water Viewpont Le Camp SAMARA Cautelasse Wetlands Saint Sauveur Wooded areas Chalk-banks Starting point Be careful: Turn right CEN Picardie The site is closed during hunting periods. © Car Park Take the right turn over the Keep dogs on leads when crossing the Park at Samara embankment of the Sarrazin hillside to point 8 during grazing periods. Car Park Ditch. Not suitable for horse riding or cycling Variation: return via the minor (stiles) The Acon Valley Cross the road via the passage, road Starting at: Samara Protect the natural environment Car Park go down the steps and take the Cross the stile and follow the To help with the conservation of the rich natural La Chaussée-Tirancourt, Halfway along the Somme right turning trail across the chalk-bank habitats of this fragile site, please: 2km from Picquigny, 17km Valley enjoy a walk of great Time: 1 hour 15m Take the left turning and follow . Always use the marked trails from Amiens Cross the stile and return diversity: this is the major quality alongside the pasture to the trail . Keep gates and stiles closed . Respect the fauna and flora of the site - a fascinating journey Distance: 3.8km Turn left Continue along the trail . Take your litter away with you . Always keep dogs on leads through the wet valley to the dry Take the right turn and climb Take the trail to the right hillsides. the steps through the wooded area and This trail is maintained by the Route: moderate return to the pasture municipality of Chaussée-Tirancourt. Sign posts Route continues Wrong direction Change of direction To find out more: Spring • Tourist Office: Picquigny : 03 22 51 46 85 Abbeville Summer www.amiens-ouest-tourisme.fr La Chaussée-Tirancourt 0 250 500 750 1 km Péronne • Somme Tourist Board: Picquigny Amiens This leaflet was created by www.somme-tourisme.com Autumn the Somme County Council www.somme-nature.com 43, rue de la République - 80026 Amiens cedex 1 Winter 03 22 71 80 80 www.somme.fr Managers of the site: Walk Exploring the natural sites Summer 2012 Summer Updates and printing: imp. Cg80 - Translation: C. Carnel - - Carnel C. Translation: - Cg80 imp. and printing: Updates Written by: Nathalie Saillard - Design: L’Agence par A Propos A Propos par L’Agence Design: - Saillard Nathalie by: Written 6 © B. Teissedre Teissedre © B. The trail continues climbing Some ten different species of through a wood onto the amphibians have been counted in the The Acon Valley Acon Valley: toads, frogs and newts are cultivated land on the heights. Leading into the Somme River, the Acon Valley has a wonderful diverse landscape. At the all at home here. It is the complementary Take the embankment that habitats which provide such excellent bottom of the valley, the River Acon snakes across the wetlands and damp pastures dotted looks over the “Sarrazin Ditch”, living conditions: aquatic areas for with ponds. On the left bank, a chalky hillside is covered with short grass and bushes: this is the last visible mark of the reproduction, and grasslands, limestone, the chalk-bank. Many types of fauna and flora flourish here thanks to the conservation work surrounding wall of Caesar’s and wooded areas for feeding, shelter Camp, a Gallo-Roman fortified and hibernation. The Great Crested Newt carried out by the Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels de Picardie. and the Common Parsley Frog are the camp. most remarkable of the species to be Michel found here. Bellanger, Refresh yourself in the valley Today, it is covered by fields and CEN Picardie Operations protected on its two other flanks © Manager for the At the bottom of the valley, by the natural ramparts which The Chiltern Gentian: On the hillsides bordering the Lycée Agricole du where the River Acon runs, make up the dominant slopes of valley, and on the many banks, the Chiltern Gentian Paraclet the scenery is of pasture lands. the Somme and Acon Valleys. flowers at the end of summer. Its finely cut, mauve “Grazing animals In summer, cows and horses flowers will certainly draw your eye. preserve this maintain the area by grazing From here, beautiful panoramic © M. Bellanger © M. natural habitat. views can be seen. for timbering, where only the A partnership was put into place a few and so limiting the growth CEN Picardie branches are cut giving the trees © years ago between the Lycée Agricole du of tall grasses and bushes. The Common Parsley Frog: Amphibians are Parcelet and the Conservatoire d’Espaces their curious silhouettes. The Accessible from the RD191 At the end of the ditch, which wonderful indicators of the quality of the wet zones. Naturels de Picardie, who manage the site. enclosed area, which can be Many species, including the Common Parsley Frog, (the starting point is opposite Teissedre © B. looks over the Acon Valley, This has allowed us to preserve a rare breed seen on the left from June to co-habit on the site. the Samara Car Park); a marked of “Nantais” cattle, and to maintain the cross the stile and descend the October, protects the Tumble bio-diversity. The Nantais cows are rustic trail will take you across the you can listen to the green frogs chalk-bank to meet the second Mustard from being eaten by Because it hosts many protected animals, well suited to grazing in wet zones grasslands. On the edge of in concert: a pleasure to hear! species, is composed of rare and are very sociable. They maintain the site stile and find the trail previously goats; a particularly rare and a pasture, you will recognise taken across the grasslands. natural habitats and was in danger of of the Acon Valley by grazing here for 2 to remarkable plant to Picardy and becoming an illegal dumping ground, 3 months every year”. common types of plants such Take some height This is where the pollarded protected on a European level. the site has been regulated by a as: the Marsh Marigold - a kind On the slopes of the chalk-banks willows live: a special technique About the site there is a southern feel to the prefectural order of protection of the of large buttercup that grows in Close by, the Samara biotope since 1994. atmosphere. Vegetation colours > Proprietor: Somme County Council, large bunches at the beginning Archaeological Park not only From April to November, you will meet Municipality of Chaussée-Tirancourt, of spring, or the fragrant Water the chalky ground, dominated offers a historical interest to the “maintenance workforce”: CHU of Amiens Mint. On the banks, the pink mainly by Gramineae. visitors but also allows you to Nantais cattle, (an endangered breed), > Size: 11ha swords of the Purple Loosestrife About ten different species of discover a variety of habitats: Fjord horses, and sheep graze on the > Managed by: Conservatoire join the Great Water Dock. The orchids - such as the Fragrant marshlands, reed beds and an hillsides. Of course, d’Espaces Naturels de Picardie grasslands (regularly flooded their presence here > Maintenance partners: Orchid (visible from May) or arboretum. during bad weather) are alive the Man Orchid - thrive here, is supervised so as Municipality, Lycée Agricole du with wildlife: micro-organisms, not to disturb the Paraclet, a cattle farmer, Communauté as do different aromatic plants. insects, amphibians and birds. development of the de Communes de l’Ouest Amienois You can also see many types of plants. > Financial partners: Europe, State, During the summertime, in the insects: crickets, grass-hoppers, Agence d’Eau Artois-Picardie, Regional early morning or late evening, butterflies, etc. Teissedre © B. Council of Picardie, Somme County Man Orchid CEN Picardie Council © .

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