Lucheux is a small village in a wooded valley in the north of the Somme, close to the border with the Pas-de-Calais, and its belfry is something of an oddity. Rather than rising above a town hall or a market square, as in the larger towns of Flanders and Picardy, it is built into a fortified gateway, a stout stone tower straddling the road through the village. It is part of the group of belfries of Belgium and France listed by UNESCO, a symbol of the civic freedoms that towns and villages won from their feudal lords in the Middle Ages. Above the village stand the ruins of a castle that belonged to the Counts of Saint-Pol, with a great hall and towers in a romantic state of decay.
The forest of Lucheux, which surrounds the village, is one of the largest in the area, a dense beech and oak wood crossed by quiet roads and walking paths. The riding here is gentle and pleasant, with gently rolling hills, fields of wheat and sugar beet, and small villages built of brick and chalk. The roads are generally well surfaced but narrow, with some steep, short climbs and descents in the valleys. Traffic is light, and the area is a pleasant contrast to the busier industrial towns to the north.
Doullens, about seven kilometres away, is the nearest larger town, with a population of over six thousand, and it has fuel, shops and restaurants. It holds an important place in the history of the First World War. On 26 March 1918, during the German spring offensive, Allied leaders met in the town hall at Doullens and agreed to give General Foch the coordinating command of the Allied armies on the Western Front, a decision that helped turn the tide of the war. The room where the meeting took place is preserved and can be visited. Doullens also has a large citadel, built over several centuries and later used as a prison.
The valley of the Authie, just to the south, is another lovely area to explore, with water meadows, poplars and old mills along the river. The weather in this part of France is mild but often damp, with grey skies and drizzle common, so waterproofs are a sensible addition to any pack.