Arbres aux teintes automnalesForêt d'Arques|
Gravure sur un arbre d'une femme portant une amphore sur la têtePorteuse d'eau · Forêt d'Arques|
Arbres verdoyantsForêt d'Arques|
Arbres aux teintes automnales
Arbres verdoyantsForêt d'Arques|
Forest of ArquesThe green lung of the hinterland
A walk in the fresh air
Natural curiositiesThis beech forest features scenery with large clumps of conifers mixing with leafy trees. They include two remarkable trees well worth a look: the Montariol Beech, the oldest tree in the forest, and the Water Carrier, a mysterious engraving believed to be more than a century old.
A few gems will delight curious naturalists, most notably two gorgeous ponds where frogs, newts and salamanders can be observed, but also where dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies abound on sunny days.
Arbres aux teintes automnalesGravure sur un arbre d'une femme portant une amphore sur la têteArbres verdoyants
Jeune homme de dos se baladant autour des ruines du château d'Arques-la-Bataille
Clairière sous un arbre verdoyantForêt d'Arques|
A place marked by history
A royal memento
The Forest of Arques is a remnant of the Forest of Aliermont which once covered the entire plateau of the same name. The property of the Dukes of Normandy, it escaped the clearing which caused the disappearance of the whole middle section of this large forest tract. It became a royal forest once Normandy was brought under the Crown of France, and then a national forest after the French Revolution. It is currently managed by the National Forestry Office. The names of a few roundabouts (like the Rond des Ligueurs – Leaguers’ Roundabout) and forest roads (Route Henri IV) are reminders of the famous battle won by Henri IV over the Duke of Mayenne in 1589.
