Église Saint-Martin in Ailly-sur-Noye combines Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival architecture with commemorative windows dedicated to the First World War. If you would like to combine culture with nature experiences or outdoor activities, you’ll find a range of options: church art, trails around the Plan d’Eau de Berny-sur-Noye, adventure activities and open-air events. This lets you plan your stay around the places and activities you actually want to visit.
Arriving and choosing accommodation
Ailly-sur-Noye station is 500 metres from the town centre. This specifies the exact distance between these two points. It can also help to decide which activities you plan to prioritise—such as architecture, outdoor trails or cultural events—and search accordingly.
Architecture and remembrance at Église Saint-Martin
Église Saint-Martin was built in the late 19th century to plans by Paul Delefortrie. Its Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival features give the church a distinctive architectural character: two different styles can be appreciated together here. It also has commemorative windows dedicated to the First World War, designed and made in 1954 by Gérard Ansart and the Cagnart studio. Their date adds a distinct note alongside the church’s building history, allowing visitors to turn their attention from the architecture to commemorative art.
Above the entrance is the sculptural group La Charité de Saint Martin. If you would like to see these details in person, plan your visit in advance: the church can be visited by appointment throughout the year. Arrange your visit before travelling. This makes it possible to include a church visit in your plans without assuming that you can visit without prior arrangements.
Water, surroundings and trails
The Plan d’Eau de Berny-sur-Noye is a nature and recreation area with 4 hectares of water and a further 4.5 hectares of surrounding land. These figures distinguish the water from the surrounding area and give a precise sense of the scale of the landscape. Several trails add to the outdoor experience, including routes on the Ailly-sur-Noye Trail Station. This means you can enjoy more than just the water: the trails offer a separate focus for visitors who prefer to explore on foot.
The waters can also be identified by name. The Noye has a 2-kilometre stretch of river classified as Category 1. Other waters include the Marais de Berny, the Trou aux Plaisirs and the Plan d’Eau de Berny-sur-Noye. If you plan to fish in the named stretch of the Noye, check in advance whether permits are required. This is a different focus from the trails or cultural attractions and may influence your choice of activities.
Activities by age group and format
Terrains d’Aventure in Ailly-sur-Noye offers six adventure courses for ages 8 and up, with a continuous safety line. The L’Éveil des Sens programme is for children aged 2 to 5 and includes eight activities with unlimited access. The two offers therefore differ considerably in age group and format. If you’re planning a trip with children, the stated age ranges are a useful starting point. As programme details may change, check the latest information before travelling.
Open-air culture and event dates
The Théâtre de verdure is an artistically designed outdoor venue for live performances and film screenings. Ailly-sur-Noye also hosts a sound-and-light show depicting 20,000 years of Picardy’s history. These offer two distinct cultural experiences alongside a historical visit to the church: a venue for performances and films, and a show with a specific historical theme. The dates of the sound-and-light show are seasonal and may change. If it’s a key reason for your trip, check the performance dates while planning.
Discover more destinations: Yzengremer, Conty, Buigny-Saint-Maclou, Suzanne, Villers-Bocage, Nouvion, Gueschart, Mers-Les-Bains.
For the regional travel overview: Somme.
