Marles-sur-Canche offers two distinct ways to plan your trip: village heritage centred on the Church of Saint-Firmin, and nature-related attractions including the Canche River, the marshland and the Pâture à Joncs. The Canche flows through the village, and the marshland has quiet paths for walks. Depending on whether you are more interested in architectural history and remembrance or in walks and biodiversity, you can tailor your stay accordingly.
Heritage at Saint-Firmin
Marles-sur-Canche is a village in the Pas-de-Calais department that has been awarded the Village Patrimoine label. The award relates the heritage to the village as a whole; the Church of Saint-Firmin is a specific architectural highlight. It combines a modern nave with a flamboyant Gothic choir dating from the 16th century. The contrast between the modern nave and the historically situated choir brings two periods of construction into focus. This takes you from the village’s heritage to a named building whose parts have distinct architectural features.
Saint-Firmin can also be explored through its details. The bronze bell is listed as a protected object. Inscriptions commemorating the French Revolution are engraved in the church’s stone. Here, the form of the building, a protected object and a remembrance preserved in stone come together at one cultural site. If you are interested in history, the bell and inscriptions offer further points of interest alongside the contrast between the nave and the choir.
The Canche, marshland and biodiversity
The Canche flows through Marles-sur-Canche. The marshland offers quiet paths for walks and is home to protected species. The Pâture à Joncs is also a place for walks and for discovering the rich biodiversity preserved there. The nature experience thus ranges from quiet paths to learning about species diversity.
The Pâture à Joncs is also included in the inventory of alluvial wetlands in the Canche catchment area. “Alluvial” refers to the influence of deposits carried by flowing water; this classification situates the Pâture within the landscape of the Canche catchment area. For orientation, this offers an additional perspective beyond walks and biodiversity: the Pâture can also be understood as part of a specified type of wetland.
A walk or a hiking route?
Le Rietz is a waymarked hiking route that starts in Marles-sur-Canche. It offers a different focus from the quiet walking paths in the marshland: on Le Rietz, you can follow a named route, while the marshland has quiet paths for walks. The Pâture à Joncs combines walks with the discovery of biodiversity. So consider what matters most to you for the nature part of your trip: a specifically named hiking route, quiet paths in the marshland, or walks focused on biodiversity.
Discover more destinations: Chériennes, Ligny-sur-Canche, Coyecques, Grand-Rullecourt, Fouquières-lès-Béthune, Blendecques, Inxent, Loison-sur-Créquoise.
For the broader travel overview: Pas-de-Calais.
