Back-to-nature
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes"
Marcel Proust
So the Valley lives on!
The leper hospital was established by the Frères du Val in Abbeville in the 12th century, it then moved here to Grand-Laviers, and operated until 1696. The property was converted into a farm, and subsequently a golf club. What’s more, at the centre of the former agricultural plain, you can make out the outline of paths that have permanently marked the land.
In 2024, the owner of the Domaine du Val signed a five-year management support agreement with the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels des Hauts-de-France [Conservation body for Natural Spaces in the Hauts-de-France region]. As a result, an environmental analysis and inventory have made it possible to identify the exceptional biodiversity potential of this location.
In 2024, the owner of the Domaine du Val signed a five-year management support agreement with the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels des Hauts-de-France [Conservation body for Natural Spaces in the Hauts-de-France region]. As a result, an environmental analysis and inventory have made it possible to identify the exceptional biodiversity potential of this location.
Let nature take its course (again!)
A conscious ecological restoration followed, the benefits of which can already be seen in the 19 natural habitats of the site:
- Nettles which are a natural source of nitrogen for the earth, playing a pivotal role in photosynthesis.
- Return of critically endangered insects such as the large marsh grasshopper.
- Sighting of the Polygala comosa, a rare and protected plant formerly found in Picardy.
- Nettles which are a natural source of nitrogen for the earth, playing a pivotal role in photosynthesis.
- Return of critically endangered insects such as the large marsh grasshopper.
- Sighting of the Polygala comosa, a rare and protected plant formerly found in Picardy.
A safe haven!
Moreover, it is important to know that soil with a good vegetation covering such as this, which limits erosion and flooding, is also an asset from a global perspective as a way to combat climate change.
The domaine du val reserve
