Sanghen – Hiking and Culture Around Saint-Martin

A stay in Sanghen can be shaped around two interests: hikes through the chalk landscapes of Mont d’Eclemy and the Saint-Martin sites, with their architectural and devotional history. For planning your trip, the specific differences matter: the trails have their own routes and landscape features, while the church and spring offer a different focus. This distinction can also help when looking for a hotel in Sanghen, so you can tailor your stay to hiking or local history.

Chalk Slopes and Hiking Trails

At Mont d’Eclemy, steep, dry, well-drained chalk slopes shape the landscape. These conditions support chalk grassland, home to rare plants and animals, including wild orchids. The GR de Pays – Tour du Boulonnais passes over Mont d’Eclemy in Sanghen; the Ventu d’Alembon hiking trail also crosses this mountain. Both trails therefore share Mont d’Eclemy as a named point along their routes.

The Sentier Saint-Martin is a 14-kilometer hike that starts at Saint-Martin de Sanghen and reaches Blanc Mont, which is 189 meters high. The trail’s length, starting point, and a named high point are thus specified. The Sentier du Ventu follows a different route: it passes over Mont de Sanghen and then continues along a ridge to Mont de la Taonnerie. The Sentier du Ventu also descends steeply toward Sanghen; it also runs in the direction of the Monts de Sanghen and d’Éclemy. The different descriptions answer different questions when choosing a hike: the Sentier Saint-Martin has a specified distance and a named destination, while the ridge and steep descent define the route description for the Sentier du Ventu.

As route details can change, check the current descriptions of the Sentier Saint-Martin and the Sentier du Ventu before setting out.

Church and Spring: the Saint-Martin Sites

Église Saint-Martin stands away from the village center in a green setting and is surrounded by a cemetery. The present building dates from no earlier than the 15th century; inside is a richly decorated architectural altarpiece from the 17th century. These dates refer to two different elements: the building and its furnishings. An altarpiece is a decorated structure behind an altar; as an architectural feature, it offers a distinct art-historical point of interest alongside the dating of the church building.

Beneath a canopy of lime trees stands an artificial grotto from the 19th century at the Saint-Martin spring. A few steps lead down to the spring and face a mounted statue of Saint Martin. A local devotional tradition tells of a custom in which the feet of young children who had difficulty walking were dipped in the fresh spring water. This custom adds a local religious perspective to the architectural description and forms part of the site’s recorded history. The steps and the mounted statue opposite provide concrete points of reference for finding your way around the spring.

The church and spring complement each other as cultural landmarks without sharing the same focus: the church is associated with its architecture and altarpiece, while the spring is associated with its grotto and the devotional tradition.

Discover more destinations: Courrières, Lefaux, Croisilles, Equihen-Plage, Auchy-Lès-Hesdin, Inxent, Maisoncelle, Lebiez.

For the broader travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.