Bourseville: Courtil, heritage and walking routes

Bourseville offers several ways to enjoy a stay: a cultural landscape characteristic of the Vimeu, the Church of Notre Dame des Anges, and several routes with different themes and distances. You can get to know the area through its landscape and heritage, as well as its walking and cycling routes.

The Courtil and the landscape

A Courtil is a belt of vegetation made up of gardens, meadows and orchards. This type of landscape is characteristic of the villages of the Vimeu. The term therefore describes more than a single green space: it encompasses different cultivated and vegetated areas that shape the appearance of villages in this region.

The preserved Chemin du Courtil passes by a pond. In spring, shelducks and mallards may stop there to rest. This is a possibility, not a guarantee of a sighting. The Le tour du Courtil circuit is 4.6 kilometres long and has no elevation gain. These details provide a clear guide to the route without specifying a walking time.

Church and wayside cross

The Church of Notre Dame des Anges dates from the early 16th century. Its north transept is considered a particularly interesting feature. The exposed timber framework there is richly carved and decorated. Visitors interested in historic architectural styles and craftsmanship will find a particular highlight here: the church’s date and the design of this part of the building are both among its defining features.

Another historical feature is the medieval tufa-stone wayside cross on the roadside at the edge of Bourseville. Its design is unique in the Somme département. By decree dated 26 April 1999, the cross was listed as a Monument historique. The church and wayside cross therefore represent two different historical aspects of the area: the architecture of a religious building and a distinctive stone waymarker.

Routes around the Hâble d’Ault and other trails

The Le hâble par le chemin du Lavoir walking route starts in Bourseville and leads to the Hâble d’Ault. Near Bourseville, a section of the route runs beside a body of water and a gravel embankment. You can observe unusual flora, hunting huts and birds there. Sightings and trail conditions may vary; check local conditions before setting out.

Le Camp du Roi is a 14-kilometre route for walking and cycling that starts and ends in Bourseville. It is not signposted; you will need the GPX or KML track to navigate. The route links Bourseville to the Hundred Years’ War and passes 19th-century buildings associated with the metalworking industry. It therefore combines route planning with historical points of interest, without these replacing the route itself.

The stated details are particularly useful when comparing the routes: Le tour du Courtil covers 4.6 kilometres with no elevation gain, while Le Camp du Roi is 14 kilometres long and can be travelled on foot or by bike. For Le Camp du Roi, you should also plan to navigate using the track. The two routes therefore differ both in their stated distance and in the information provided about navigation.

Places to visit and practical information

The remaining ruins of some buildings and the foundations of radar installations are on private property and are not accessible. Bear this restriction in mind when planning; the routes and accessible points of interest should not be taken to mean that these remains are open to visitors. The mysterious “Rond des fées” is also mentioned on a route near Bourseville; it may not be visible at all times.

When choosing a hotel in Bourseville, you could first consider whether to focus on the cultural landscape and the church or on one of the routes described. The information about distances and navigation makes the differences between the routes clear, while the historical sites offer a separate way to discover the area. This lets you tailor your stay to the things that interest you most in Bourseville.

Discover more destinations: Mesnil-Domqueur, Belloy-Sur-Somme, Port-Le-Grand, Machy, Camps-En-Amiénois, Feuquières-En-Vimeu, Beauchamps, Bouvaincourt-Sur-Bresle

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