Beaucamps-Le-Vieux between craftsmanship and cycling route

Beaucamps-Le-Vieux combines a cycling route through the Bresle and Liger valleys with a history of chairmaking and former industrial businesses. The Chés Pailleuses (Loop A) passes through the town; the history of the former Gaudefroy factory and the businesses that followed tells a story of changing production. This gives you two distinct points of focus when planning your trip: the landscape along a 37-kilometre cycling route and the development of craftsmanship and industry. If you are looking for a hotel in Beaucamps-Le-Vieux, these themes can help you decide what kind of stay you are looking for.

Cycling route and landscape

The Chés Pailleuses cycling route (Loop A) is 37 km long and starts at Place du Pré in Hornoy-le-Bourg. It passes through Beaucamps-le-Vieux and the Bresle and Liger valleys, where meadows, forests and orchards alternate. The starting point and route answer two different orientation questions: Hornoy-le-Bourg is the starting point; Beaucamps-le-Vieux lies along the route. The 37 km figure refers to the entire Loop A. This distinguishes the town’s location from the route’s total length, while the varied landscapes describe the character of the route.

Chairmaking and industrial history

Local chairmaking is connected to the region through the wood used. Another part of the craft tradition is the use of rye straw for seat covers, introduced in the early 19th century. An account updated in 2013 noted that Thibaude production had already ceased, while chairmaking and rye-straw seat covers were still being made at that time. This timeline distinguishes chairmaking and straw-seat craftsmanship in the account from the discontinued Thibaude production. Wood, rye straw and cowhair are associated with different forms of manufacturing in local histories; the changes therefore extend beyond a single material.

The former Gaudefroy factory was mentioned in 1871 as a felt factory; under the name Gaudefroy Frères, it specialised in making Thibaudes from cowhair. The former Gaudefroy weaving mill site for Thibaudes is in Beaucamps-le-Vieux and is associated with later industrial uses. Around 1967, the factory was taken over by Sopibat; this was followed by Sepa and Fogepe, which specialised in automotive mechanics. This sequence traces several phases: the felt factory and Thibaude production were followed by other businesses with a different industrial focus. The names Gaudefroy, Sopibat, Sepa and Fogepe bring the changes in production to life, without limiting the town’s history to chairmaking.

Festivals and historical traditions

The annual Fête de la chaise et du meuble in Beaucamps-le-Vieux showcases the skills of local manufacturers. Check the current event dates when planning your trip. A report from September 2001 names twenty manufacturers as exhibitors at the Fête de la chaise et du meuble picard. The festival is thus brought to life both through its presentation of local skills and through a specific historical account of its exhibitors.

A church programme from April 2019 included a Palm Sunday procession in Beaucamps-le-Vieux, starting from the Chapelle de l’Abbé Lyonneau. As a historical programme item, this event adds a religious dimension to the picture of craftsmanship and industry.

Discover more destinations: Yaucourt-Bussus, Ponches-Estruval, Vron, Arquèves, Longueau, Poulainville, Longpré-Les-Corps-Saints, Argoules

For the wider travel overview: Somme.