Leaflet Walks and hiking trails Haute-Somme and Poppy Country 19 The Green March Valley (La vallée de la Marche verte) As its name suggests, Time: 3 hours 20 this route will mainly take you through Distance: 10 km marshland, valleys Route: easy and woods. Leaving from: Church in Athies Athies, 11 km south of Péronne, 15 km north-east of Ham Abbeville Albert Péronne Amiens Athies n i z a Ham B . C Montdidier © 1 Facing the south door of the Sargasso Sea where they breed. Sainte-Radegonde church, turn right. Cross the 4 Take the first road on the left. You cannot talk about Athies, the road. Walk past the square, then Keeping the Omignon on your village in the Omignon Valley, the tree-lined avenue. Take the left, continue along the plain without mentioning Radegonde, Chemin des Petites Vignes on the with its lush greenery. daughter of the King of Thuringia. t After the Frankish defeat of the left, then the Chemin des Marais. 5 You will come to the old water- s Thuringians, Clotaire, son of The church, dedicated to Notre- mills. e r Clovis, brought this young princess Dame de l’Assomption, dates from These were converted into an e and her brother to Athies as “spoils th t the 12 century. The tower and industrial flour-mill in 1903. It was in of war”. Radegonde became n vaults were rebuilt after the Great turn destroyed during the Great War, i Queen of the Franks in 538 against War. The restored 13 th -century south and has not been used since 1955. f her will, after having received an door has many columns topped by 6 Your route takes you past the O intellectual and religious education capitals with sculpted arches. Ennemain road, whose Jacques in Athies. Queen Radegonde 2 Continue walking between the Debat-Ponsan church alternates enjoyed considerable prestige until marshes on one side and the plain courses of brick and plaster. the day when she decided to leave on the other. You’ll come to a plain, Continue along the road, then the Court for good after her brother then a road. Turn left, passing the cross the Omignon to reach the was murdered by her husband, bridge over the Omignon. outskirts of Athies. Clotaire. She then gave her life to God, retiring to a convent until her 3 Go into Saint-Christ-Briost. Walk 7 Turn right to take the counter- death in 587. Her tomb in Poitiers alongside the fish farms by the scarp, which leads you up to the receives many visitors. In Athies, old mill. high points of the town via the Radegonde had an infirmary built In the village there is a traditional meadow below the old town. Pass on the spot where the present “anguillière” [eel trap]. You find this the retirement home, then turn retirement home bearing her name tradition everywhere in the Haute back down to the church. stands. Her life is depicted in Somme. The fishing season runs stained glass windows in the Tourism Office Haute-Somme, church of Notre-Dame de from April to September, when the Tel: 03 2284 4238 eels are heading back to the www.hautesomme-tourisme.com l’Assomption in Athies. Author: Isabelle Boidanghein • Translation: Gibson Language Team • Design: A Propos • Conception: Imp. Cg80 • 1000 copies - Spring 2011 3 4 2 1 7 6 In the vicinity 5 6 km away, Monchy-Lagache: church with listed stained-glass windows. 10 km away, Péronne: Historial de la Grande Guerre, Hôtel de Ville, Hardines or floating market gardens, Musée Alfred-Danicourt, church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Étang du Cam, Porte de Bretagne, Ramparts, etc. 15 km away, Ham: its Château dating from the 13th century, and transformed by the Luxembourg family in the 15th century. In 1846, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from there disguised as a builder called "Badinguet"; The Crypt of the Abbey Church of Notre-Dame, built at the end of the 12th century is a blend of Romanesque and Gothic. It is considered as one of the most beautiful crypts in northern France and contains the recumbent effigies of Odon IV, lord of Signage Route Change of Wrong 0 0,25 0,5 0,75 1 km Ham from 1216 to 1234, and Isabelle de continues direction direction The paths are not suitable for Béthencourt, his wife; This circuit is maintained by the group of communes of the motor sports. Pays Neslois and the Pays Hamois. The station frescoes depict the château, the sugar industry, wheat growing and the insignia of the Map IGN 2509 O, 2508 O communes and lords. .