In Beaumetz, you can encounter different periods in the village’s history: at Saint-Nicolas church, beside wayside crosses, in underground refuges and in the history of the surrounding forests. There is also a circular hiking route with a published distance, elevation gain and duration. This gives you two distinct ways to plan your stay: cultural history and a hike with a specific time commitment.
Saint-Nicolas: a church and works of art from several centuries
Saint-Nicolas church dates from the 17th century. It houses two wooden statues from that period, depicting Saint Augustine and Saint Nicholas, which are listed as historic monuments. A stone baptismal font in the church is older: it dates from the 16th century. The church and statues therefore stand alongside an earlier-dated feature. Anyone interested in religious art and architectural history will find several specific points of interest here, rather than a single date: the age of the church, the saints depicted, the material of the statues and the earlier date of the baptismal font.
Wayside crosses and local memories
Three wayside crosses can be seen in the area of Beaumetz. The LĂ©pine-Quillet family cross dates from the mid-19th century and stands at the intersection of the main road and rue de Domart. Another wayside cross is dedicated to Henri Douzenel. It dates from 1936 and stands on the road opposite the municipal cemetery. The three crosses still bear copper or brass plaques recording the stories of farmers from the village.
The crosses connect different kinds of memory: a dedication and a date place individual crosses in time, while the plaques preserve stories of farmers from Beaumetz. Their locations also vary considerably—from a road junction to the road opposite the municipal cemetery. The village’s history can therefore be explored not only through religious works of art, but also through memorials around the village.
Muches and forest history
The muches of Beaumetz are underground refuges. The local population built them in the 15th and 16th centuries to provide protection from repeated invasions. Their purpose differs from the religious art at Saint-Nicolas and the memories of individual farmers: here, collective protection is at the heart of the story. Together, these themes offer different ways of approaching the village’s history, from religious imagery to structures intended to address a specific historical threat.
The forest’s history has its own temporal context. The settlement of Beaumetz began to develop after the clearing of the Forest of Goyaval, now called the “bois de Ribeaucourt.” At the time of Gérard de Berny’s death, the Ribeaucourt forest extended across the communes of Ribeaucourt, Beaumetz and Fransu and covered 362 hectares. The clearing is part of the settlement’s history; the area figure describes the extent of the forest at that particular time. The forest’s name, the development of the settlement and the number of hectares can each be understood in their own historical context.
A hike with a stated duration
The “Beaumetz – La Vallée sous le Bois” circular hiking route is 11.9 kilometres long, has an elevation gain of 137 metres and takes 3 hours and 12 minutes. These details complement one another: the distance gives the route’s length, the elevation gain describes the change in height, and the duration provides a specific timeframe for planning. Set aside the stated walking time as a separate block in your itinerary. Check the route markings and conditions before setting out.
The difference between the options can help you decide what to focus on: Saint-Nicolas, the wayside crosses, the muches and the forest history each reveal a different aspect of Beaumetz; the circular route, by contrast, can be assessed by its distance, elevation gain and walking time. You can decide whether to base your plans primarily on the cultural and historical attractions or on the stated hike.
Discover more destinations: Nibas, Regnière-Écluse, Villers-sous-Ailly, Belloy-Sur-Somme, Aigneville, Arrest, Courcelles-Au-Bois, Sentelie.
For the regional travel overview: Somme.
