Les Sept Vallées
La Canche - matrone riviere
Eglise Notre-Dame, Hesdin
The mother river, La Canche, travels 96km from its source at Gouy-sur-Ternois to the estuary at Etaples, where it meets the coastal waters of La Manche. Passing alongside many villages, La Canche is most prominently seen as it passes through Hesdin, Beaurainville and Montreuil-sur-Mer. In Hesdin, la ville de l'abbé Prévost, the path of the river sees it wind its way between houses built in the 16th century, flow under seven bridges and fill two drinking troughs!
Places of interest: The Town Hall, L'eglise Notre Dame with its magnificent belfry, and the Municipal Museum, Hesdin; Musée de L'Abeille d'Opale, Bouin Plumoison, a museum with exhibition of old and modern bee-keeping equipment, plus shop selling goods associated with beeswax, honey and their famous Hydromel wine.
Places of interest: The Town Hall, L'eglise Notre Dame with its magnificent belfry, and the Municipal Museum, Hesdin; Musée de L'Abeille d'Opale, Bouin Plumoison, a museum with exhibition of old and modern bee-keeping equipment, plus shop selling goods associated with beeswax, honey and their famous Hydromel wine.
La Ternoise - un jardin extraordinaire
Bridge over La Ternoise
La Ternoise arrives in Les 7 Vallées just north of Auchy-les-Hesdin and flows into La Canche to the east of Hesdin. Overall the river winds its way through the Pas-de-Calais countryside for about 40km. The power of La Ternoise can be witnessed as it cascades through the sluice gates at Auchy - a village originally known as Auchy-les-Moines. From 1805, Auchy has been been home to a cotton mill, built there by Issac Grivel and Jean-Baptiste Saye. The old mill buildings are still standing, though their doors were finally closed for business on 30 June 1989.
Traditional boulangerie, Huby St Leu
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Private chateau near Hesdin
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Places of
interest: L'eglise Saint-George and the textile mills,
Auchy-les-Hesdin; le Chateau de Courcelles, Rollancourt; L'Abbaye
Saint-Berthe, Blangy-sur-Ternoise; Azincourt.
L'Authie - la vallée des peupliers
Le Moulin de Maintenay
In days past, L'Authie provided a natural border to that of a feudal one, between L'Artois and La Picardie. The source of the river is found south of Souastre in the Somme, and overall it travels 100km (60km in Pas-de-Calais).
Like La Canche, L'Authie is a more imposing river than the other five featured in Les 7 Vallées, and its force has been used to power watermills, like the one restored at Maintenay (pictured here).
Places of interest: Le Moulin de Maintenay - family mill since 1850, the 12th century building has been restored by its present owners; Les Jardins de Valloires - created in 1987, these botanical gardens are one of the largest north of Paris.
Like La Canche, L'Authie is a more imposing river than the other five featured in Les 7 Vallées, and its force has been used to power watermills, like the one restored at Maintenay (pictured here).
Places of interest: Le Moulin de Maintenay - family mill since 1850, the 12th century building has been restored by its present owners; Les Jardins de Valloires - created in 1987, these botanical gardens are one of the largest north of Paris.
Le Bras de Brosne - un parfum de bois coupé
The smallest tributary of La Canche, La Bras de Brosne weaves its way down from Sempy to join the Canche at Marles-sur-Canche , via the picturesque villages of Aix-en-Issart and Marant.
Tradition has it that peasant carpenters rented their skills to others during the off-season. Today, craftsmen are still working and selling their items of specialised wood-craft in the valley's villages.
Place of interest: The ruins of Sempy mill, Saint Denoeux.
Tradition has it that peasant carpenters rented their skills to others during the off-season. Today, craftsmen are still working and selling their items of specialised wood-craft in the valley's villages.
Place of interest: The ruins of Sempy mill, Saint Denoeux.
La Créquoise - secrete et sauvage
This second tributary of La Canche extends about 15km along the valley. The source of the river can be found at Créquy, close to the castle, and passes through Torcy, Royon, Lebiez, Hesmond, Offin and Loison-sur-Créquoise before joining La Canche at Beaurainville. The valley gives its name to the descendants of warrior knights and the red-fruited thorny trees that lined the riverbank.
Place of interest: La Ferme du Herissombre Marionnettes, Loison sur Créquoise - traditional regional farm where there is a display of marionettes made by the owners.
Place of interest: La Ferme du Herissombre Marionnettes, Loison sur Créquoise - traditional regional farm where there is a display of marionettes made by the owners.
La Planquette - au nom d'opérette
La Planquette runs 12km from its start near Planques, flowing through or past Fressin, Wambercourt and Cavron St-Martin, before joining La Canche at Contes.
In the villages where La Planquette weaves its way between houses and road, each property has its own small bridge to allow access.
Place of interest: Vestiges de la Forteress Medievale de Fressin - the remains of a 15th century castle.
In the villages where La Planquette weaves its way between houses and road, each property has its own small bridge to allow access.
Place of interest: Vestiges de la Forteress Medievale de Fressin - the remains of a 15th century castle.
Lys - la capricieuse
The source of La Lys is in Lisbourg. The river links up to the northern canals and l'Escaut, where it extends 110km into France and 100km in Belgium. The river is called the capricious one following an incident at its source, when on 11 February 1984, at 2am, a geyser appeared and flooded the locality. La Lys is also responsible for a beautiful pond that can be seen in the grounds of Verchin's chateau.
Place of interest: Musée Abbé Delétoille, Fruges - museum displaying earthenware, paintings and post cards documenting a history of Fruges.
Place of interest: Musée Abbé Delétoille, Fruges - museum displaying earthenware, paintings and post cards documenting a history of Fruges.
