 Barge
holidays from Cappy base
Very soon after leaving Cappy, past the first lock and lifting
bridge, the silence on the Canal du Somme is only interrupted
by the sound of birds on the banks and in the nearby ponds.
The Somme valley boasts some of the best fishing in France
- eels, pike, carp, and rudd.
 From
Cappy travel
along the canal to the sea at St Valéry-sur-Somme
through Amiens and Abbeville
with their superb Gothic architecture.
Amiens cathedral is the largest in France
and a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of France's oldest towns
- in 54BC Julius Caesar set up his winter camp there - Amiens
has been closely linked with its river. See the picturesque
maze of ancient streets, typical colourwashed houses, shops,
restaurants, cafes and pubs. Amiens is also
noted for its "hortillonages", delightful riverside
smallholdings, first established by the Romans to provide
well-watered gardens.
 At
Abbeville the church of Saint Vulfran is
a masterpiece of flamboyant gothic art.
Saint Valery, on the Channel coast, was
the port from which William the Conqueror launched his invasion
of England. The charm of the place lies in its old town, with
its fortified walls, and all the activity centred on the port
with all its stalls and restaurants. Further south, wilderness
takes over in the vast landscapes of the Somme estuary.
 East
from Cappy, Peronne has its museum marking
the First World War battles on the Somme, with many spots
honouring the memory of those who died.
You can discover St Quentin, where Picardy
shows Flemish influences, with its tall and narrow town houses,
Ham with its lovely church of Notre Dame,
and Noyon, the town which saw the annointment
of Charlemagne.
 Picardy
is the cradle of Gothic art and boasts superb abbeys and cathedrals
as well as other significant medieval remains, its towns having
rivalled one another ever since the l2th century in building
the finest religious monuments.
East France boat
bases and routes
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