La Vallée de Bouchon

Villers- sous-Ailly Starting point

Parking Car Park, Bouchon Mairie (Townhall). Follow the road past Towards the Mairie and the church. At the end, turn right and follow

Towards the road for several metres. On your left, climb the steps at the flank of the embankment to join the trail. A 16 At the view point signpost, continue along the trail at the edge of the embankment and follow it into the wood. When you leave the wood, take the trail to the left by the pasture. Go into the wooded area on the left and come out into the heart of the chalk- bank after 100 metres. A 16 Follow the path down to reach the steps. At the bottom of the steps, turn right.

To w Go through the tunnel a rd s As you leave the tunnel, take the steps A m on the right to reach the chalk-banks. i en s When you arrive at the edge of the BOUCHON copse, take the trail down towards the road, go over the stile and turn to the © B. Teissedre © B. right towards Villers-sous-Ailly

View point The Chalk-Banks of the Bouchon Starting at: Bouchon D 216E Mairie (Town Hall) Information point GR123 Valley at Villers-sous-Ailly Be careful: Time: 3 hours 10m Only pedestrians are allowed on This walk will take you from Bouchon to this trail. It is closed during the hunting Bouchon, D 112 Water periods (signposted at entrance). Be 16km from Villers-sous-Ailly to explore the chalk-banks. Distance: 12,8km Towards Long careful not to trespass as paths are close Picquigny, Towards It is a walk full of contrasts, different altitudes and Wooded areas to private properties. Dogs must be held 34km from Balisage ContinuitéCondé d'itinéraire Folie Mauvaise direction Changement de direction Amiens remarkable variety. Follow along the tops of the Longpré-les-corps-Saints on leads when crossing fields during Route: difficult Chalk-banks grazing periods. banks in the footsteps of the shepherds… This trail is maintained by the Conservatoire 0 250 500 750 1km Village d’Espaces Naturel de Picardie

Sign posts Route continues Wrong direction Change of direction For more information: • Tourist Offices: Abbeville Long : 03 22 31 82 50 / www.long.fr Bouchon Spring Picquigny : 03 22 51 46 85 / www.otccoa.fr Péronne This leaflet was created by Picquigny Amiens 0 250 500 750 1km • Tourist Board: Summer the Somme County Council www.somme-tourisme.com 43, rue de la République - 80026 Amiens cedex 1 www.somme-nature.com Autumn 03 22 71 80 80 www.somme.fr 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 5 © B. Teissedre

© B. Teissedre the conservationworkofConservatoire d’EspacesNaturels de Picardie. juniper trees, you’lldiscoveraremarkable andvariedfaunaflora, thrivingthanksto illustrates theevolutionofchalk-banks. Onthechalkyhillside, inthemidstof a veryrichhabitat. The alternationbetweenthedryareas andwoodedareas perfectly The Bouchonand Villers-sous-Ailly area iscertainlyworthavisit. The chalk-banksoffer and Villers-sous-Ailly The Chalk-banksofBouchon the chalk-banks”. having milked thegoatsdirectlyon now make cheeseandsellitafter a cheesedairyatEtoile. We can amongst them. In2010weopened vines. SometimesIseedeerin makes methinkofahillside from springtomid-September County Council Regional Council ofPicardy, Somme > Financialpartners: Europe, State, Clocher and asheepfarmerfrom Ailly-le-Haut- A goatandsheepfarmer fromEtoile > Maintaincepartners: d’espaces naturelsdePicardie > Managedby:Conservatoire > Size: 15ha and Villers-sous-Ailly Bouchon > Proprietor: Municipalitiesof About thesite of thehillside the pastures forty goatsin “To seesome Goat Farmer Volant, Christophe the region; they cover the hillside. trees, the onlynative conifersof when you meetthefirstjuniper will know whenyou reach them chalk-banks are closeby. You area: the half-wooded, half-dry to theleftwhichgoesdown toa After theflatarea, takethetrail A SouthernFeel arepanoramic views magnificent. ofthechalk-bank andthe part metres. You are onthesteepest edge ofthefallow landfor500 and thenfollow alongthe valley. Go through thecopse the chalk-banksanddry pointoverlookingthe firstview The paththencontinuesonto heights dominatingthevillage. the paththatclimbsupto through thevillagetoreach and follow theroad down Mairie (town hall)andchurch of Bouchon.Park closetothe walk issituatedinthevillage pointofthis The starting Villers-sous- Ailly The chalk-banksofBouchon–

Horseshoe Vetch. the chalk-banksbecauseitscaterpillarliveson Adonis Blue: This butterflyisintimatelylinked to Butterflies such asSmall Blues andinsects. species of butterflies attracting manydifferent that flower here oncemore: Rockrose and theGlobularia Horseshoethe Vetch,the Yellow grasses, theyellow flowers of you seethecarpetsofshort the area. This isproved when has allowed nature toreclaim which managesthesite,and d’espaces naturels dePicardie, carried outby theConservatoire juniper thickets. This work was cuttingandclearingthe brush work hasbeencarriedout: A vast amountofmaintenance © CEN Picardie

by thesheep, rich thisisavery Villers-sous-Ailly. Maintained ofthechalk-banks the heart of stepswillnow takeyou into tunnel.Anotherset motorway the rightthatpassesundera at thebottomtakeroad to will cometosomesteps.Once Following the pathdown you Contrasting habitats and grasshoppers,thrive here. loving insects,suchascrickets seasons. In thesummer, sun- can befoundaccording tothe such astheFragrant Orchid, and manytypesofwildorchids, Pasque Flowers, Orange Thyme On theslopes ofthechalk-banks, becoming overgrown. the area andprevents itfrom here; thisalsohelps tomaintain Picardy language)cometograze sons, “maguetes” (goatsinthe seen here. During thewarmsea- wingspan ofupto10cm,canbe and Swallowtails, whichhave a © B. Teissedre

Somme Valley. wetlands andpondsofthe overpanoramic views the be abletoadmire thewonderful As you approach Long,you will through thefieldstoheights. the chalk-bank,follow thepath Bouchon, withyour backto Before arrivingatthevillageof is madeby theminorroad. chalk-banks. The return journey pointoverlookingview the across the fields toanexceptional rejoin theplateau, takingyou in thedirection of Long,and Ailly. Follow asheltered road on tothevillageof Villers-sous- valley,climbing thedry continue road by crossing thestileand, edge ofthewoods,rejoin the crosses the chalk-banksonthe At theend ofthetrail,which Orchid,Military etc.). more remarkable (LadyOrchid, The wildorchids here are even attention. close habitat, andworth

Chalk-bank). cheese called “T’chot larris” (The Little has acheesedairyandproduces Volant, alocalgoatfarmer. Henow site inpartnershipwithChristophe A herdhasbeenestablishedonthe grass butalsotheyoungtreeshoots. healthy appetites, eatingnotonlythe the area. The goatsalsohelpwiththeir site managerstoclearandbrushcut carried outbyvolunteers, helpingthe once morethroughtheefficientwork and scrub. Now, theareaismaintained they becameovergrownwithbushes When thispracticecametoanend by shepherdsduringtheirjourneys. quickly withrain. with itsfineandfragileyellow petals. Itwithers of chalky, grassyareas, punctuatesthevegetation Rockrose: The Yellow Rockrose, aspeciestypical Bouchon wereforalongtimeused the Somme Valley, thechalk-banksof Like themajorityof the heightsof © P.Thiert/CEN Picardie