Doingt can be explored through a clearly defined walk and several periods of its local history. The Sentier de Doingt-Flamicourt is an easy circular route; other points of interest include a Neolithic menhir, the Via Francigena and the history of Flamicourt. For planning purposes, it helps to distinguish between them: the circular route has a specific time frame, while the historical topics offer different points of focus.
The Trail through Flamicourt
The Sentier de Doingt-Flamicourt is an easy 9 km circular route, with a stated duration of 2 hours 30 minutes. It starts at the former PĂ©ronne railway station in Flamicourt. In Flamicourt, the trail follows the marshes; a section along a former railway line leads to the outskirts of the Cologne. The starting point, distance and duration provide clear details for the walk, while the marshes and the outskirts of the Cologne shape its landscape. The stated duration is a useful guide when planning your day around the circular route itself. Breaks or other activities will add to the time. This makes it possible to plan the walk as a clearly defined activity without assigning the same time frame to the other local and cultural topics.
Menhir and Via Francigena
The menhir known as La Pierre de Gargantua is located in Doingt, between the Cologne River and the D937. It is also called the Menhir de Doingt and dates from the Neolithic period. Both names refer to the same monument: if you come across the name Pierre de Gargantua, it means the menhir of Doingt, not a second monument. This helps identify the prehistoric monument by its different names.
The Via Francigena offers another perspective. Doingt-Flamicourt lies on its official route. The Via Francigena, also known as the “Voie des Français,” is a network of pilgrimage roads and paths for pilgrims travelling from France to Rome. This regional network of routes complements the local topics of the menhir and Flamicourt’s settlement history.
Settlement and Church History
Before the First World War, Flamicourt’s residential area developed along the road to Doingt, now called Rue Joliot-Curie. This development was encouraged by the Péronne-Flamicourt railway station. The road and the station are two specific points of reference for the development of the settlement. It was largely destroyed during the First World War and rebuilt according to plans by several Parisian architects. The settlement’s origins and its reconstruction thus stand out as two distinct chapters in local history.
Another historical thread leads to the church in Doingt: in 1917, Reverend Hooson found a crucifix in the ruins of the church. On 1 July 2023, a delegation from Tinwell returned the crucifix to the church. The discovery and the return are thus two dated events in the history of Doingt’s church.
Discover more destinations: TĹ“ufles, Bray-sur-Somme, Fontaine-Sur-Maye, Sourdon, PĂ©ronne, Rue, Canchy, Baizieux.
For the broader travel overview: Somme.
