Fiche 9 - Montagne Vaux Balisage Continuité d'itinéraire Mauvaise direction Changement de direction

T 0 250 500 750 1km o w Starting point a r d s

M Car park a at the Belvedere (Viewpoint) r

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o of Vaux

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r t Take the trail situated to the left Vaux Marshlands of the belvedere View point from the chapel

View point from the chalk-banks. Cross the stile to access the “Maguettes” trail Take the right turning and go down the steps Join the road alongside the marshes Take the Voyette trail to the right and return to the belvedere

View Point Vaux Woods Information point

Be careful:

This trail is for pedestrians only. © CEN Picardie VAUX No dogs allowed on the chalk-banks Water during grazing periods. Closed from October to the end of February Starting at: Car park Marshlands because of hunting and unstable ground. The Chalk-banks of the of the Belvedere (Viewpoint) of Vaux Protect the natural environment Reed beds To help with the conservation of the rich natural Mountain of Vaux Time: 40 mins habitats of this fragile site, please: Wooded areas . Always use the marked trails . Keep gates and stiles closed At the heart of the Upper Valley of Eclusier-Vaux, 7km Distance: 2.3km Wooded marshes . Respect the fauna and flora from Bray-sur-Somme, the Somme, the chalk-banks of the Eclusier-Vaux . Take your litter away with you 15km from Albert and Mountain of Vaux give views of contrasting . Always keep dogs on leads Town Hall Chalk-banks Péronne landscapes - a change of scenery is guaranteed! Route: difficult Tortue Valley Towards (very steep slope) Village This trail is maintained by the Communauté Eclusier de Communes du Pays du Coquelicot

Sign posts Route continues Wrong direction Change of direction For more information: • Poppy Country Tourist Office : Abbeville 03 22 75 11 72 Spring www.tourisme-paysducoquelicot.com Albert 0 250 500 750 1km Bray-sur-Somme Péronne • Audio-guide for the walk: Amiens This leaflet was created by www.zevisit.com/tourisme/pays-du- Eclusier-Vaux Summer the Somme County Council coquelicot 43, rue de la République - 80026 Amiens cedex 1 • Somme Tourist Board: Autumn 03 22 71 80 80 www.somme-tourisme.com www.somme.fr www.somme-nature.com Winter

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. printing: and Updates Written by: Nathalie Saillard - Design: L’Agence par A Propos Propos A par L’Agence Design: - Saillard Nathalie by: Written 9 © B. Teissedre Teissedre © B.

warm seasons – to penetrate At the end of the road, take the The chalk-banks of into the heart of the chalk- pedestrian crossing, and follow Guided tours by the Conservatoire banks. Be careful, the slope the “Voyette” trail. Here you d’Espace Naturels de Picardie allow the Mountain of Vaux is very steep and the chalky will be walking in the shelter you to appreciate the diversity of the fauna and flora. In the spring- of the trees and vegetation, The chalk-banks of the Mountain of Vaux dominate the Upper Somme Valley and give surface slippery. time, the Horseshoe Vetch and the Wild decorated in the springtime by wonderful panoramic views of the ponds and marshlands. You could just stay here, but a In springtime the mountain Thyme make up yellow and violet a carpet of Violets. carpets sprinkled with orchids, little trail threading to the left lets you prolong the experience and explore the chalk-banks, is covered here and there by a including the rare Man Orchid. which are managed by the Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels de Picardie. Here, an unusual vegetation of beautiful colours. Further if you choose In the summer, Dog Roses and Yellow type of fauna and flora thrive - as you will see when you take the “Maguette” trail. In June for example, you can The walk can be carried on Foxgloves flower. Butterflies, crickets admire the yellow flowers of the further is you would like. By and grass-hoppers thrive in this area Daniel Derly, A little bit of history Greater Yellow-Rattle and enjoy taking a few more steps after and will accompany you along your Mayor of At the bottom of the valley, the scent from the carpets of the pedestrian crossing, you will way. Eclusier-Vaux at the heart of the marshlands Thyme and Oregano. come to the Place de l’Arrivoir “The municipality and the ponds, man developed of Vaux where you will discover of Eclusier-Vaux When you come to the bottom traditional activities that a barrage-dam equipped with an started working of the hillside, cross the little with the Conser- consisted of hunting, fishing, eel trap. This was a traditional vatoire d’Espaces copse, which, during May, is

© D. Derly © D. peat extracting and basket way of fishing in the Upper Naturels de full of Lady Orchids. After the

making. Farming was © CEN Picardie Somme. The opening of the Picardie in 1995, to restore the chalk-banks stile, follow the road which which had been invaded by trees and concentrated to the high The Swallowtail: this is one of the largest butterflies floodgates makes water run runs alongside the marshlands. bushes. This, initially audacious, project has grounds and the steeper slopes in France, but it has seen a sharp decline in numbers along a long plank of perforated now reunited more than 50 volunteers each in recent years. The presence of this butterfly on these Here you will see fauna were kept for grazing: this is how hillsides illustrates the need for “refuge” areas such wood, and the eels, taken by year for the past 15 years during the main- as the chalk-banks. distinctive of the wetlands. tenance program. All the inhabitants of the the chalk-banks were formed. the current, fall into a gutter village are involved during this pleasant The characteristics of the chalk- small islands, which are gradually situated on the outside where day. The maintenance work is completed by banks consist of chalky ground, being cleared and maintained, they can be picked up by hand. Chapuis/CEN Picardie V. © the goats (or “maguettes” in the Picardy and fauna and flora more are lined with reed beds. The Man Orchid: a very rare orchid to Picardy, it language) of a local breeder.” was so named because of the form of its delicate, familiar to the south. This last yellow-green flowers; hundreds of plants spread About the site chalk-bank of the Upper Somme During the warm seasons, across the chalk-banks from the month of May. the scenery gains even more > Proprietor: Municipality of Valley was used for grazing until The healthy appetite of the the 1950’s and then again from splendour with the addition Eclusier-Vaux of Water Lilies floating on the “maguettes” (goats in the Picardy > Size: 11ha 1997 (read the following text box). language) guarantees the survival of > Managed by: Conservatoire water. Just after the Notre- the chalk-banks. Perfectly at home d’Espaces Naturels de Picardie Change of perspective… Dame Chapel, you will discover here on the steep slopes, they clear > Maintenance partners: To explore the site, rendez-vous the best part of the slopes of the ground and limit the re-growth of Municipality, a sheep and goat farmer, the Mountain of Vaux. Once the woodlands. Marc Dubiquet, a goat the fête committee at the Belvedere of Vaux; the farmer, has been bringing his flock to view over the valley is superb. you have crossed the stile, > Financial partners: Europe, State, follow the little “Maguettes” graze here since 1997. Regional Council of Picardie, Somme At the foot of the chalk-banks © B. Teissedre © B. County Council trail – used by goats in the