Forest of Carnelle

The forest of Carnelle is a main forest of 975 hectares located in the Val-d'Oise, to 25 km in the north of Paris. It constitutes with the solid masses of Montmorency and Isle-Adam one of the three principal domanial main forests of the Val-d'Oise.

Physical geography

The forest is located on a Butte-témoin dominating the flat of France at the south and the east, the valley of the Oise in north and the valley of the Ru of Presles in the west which separates it from the forest of Isle-Adam. Its top constitutes one of the culminating points of the department of the Val-d'Oise (210 m).

Administrative geography

The forest of Carnelle extends on 7 communes from the Val-d'Oise:

Beaumont-on-Oise
Noisy-on-Oise
Asnières-on-Oise
Saint-Martin-of-Hillock
Presles
Nointel

Fauna and flora

The forest is mainly made up (65%) of groves of Chêne S and of Hêtre S. One also finds there many coppices of Châtaignier S, in particular on the slopes north and west.

Fauna: a score of Roe-deer S, some Wild boar S or stag S coming from the Forest of Chantilly, Fox S, Badger X, rabbits…

One can fish keep and carps in the ponds.

Geology

The forest of Carnelle was like those of the largely exploited Isle-Adam or Montmorency. The exploitation of the Gypse starts since 1864, that of the Meulière in 1901. One also extracted from it the marl S or the Sable. In 1930, only an exploitation remains in the center of the forest: the owner had made build a telpher carrier which conveyed the rocks extracted towards the edges the Oise. One can still see vestiges of pylons in the forest.

History

The name of Carnelle comes from the word Celtique " carn" , stone. Another version of the etymology proposes the Roman origin of carnarium in its direction of massacre. The Celtic tribe of Belgian Gaulle, Belhovaques having fought the armies of César with a courage such as this one recognized like more the brave woman of the Gallic tribes. After massacrehaving copiously massacred it and in respect of their bravery it granted the pax romana to them.

Occupied as of the Prehistory (6 to 8000 years before our era), the forest enters the royal field only under Philippe IV Beautiful the in 1293. In 1330, Philippe VI of Valois proposes a regulation of the main forest. The solid mass becomes the property of the constable Anne de Montmorency in 1527. Like all the strongholds of the Montmorency, the forest becomes possession of the Condé then Conti at the 17th century which arrange it like the close Forêt of Isle-Adam for the hunt. In 1781, Conti recover finally the 237 arpents of the Ladies of Longchamp that Philippe VI had yielded to these last in… 1330. October 7th 1783, Conti sell the solid mass with the Count de Provence, which yields the field to his/her brother Louis XVI the same day. The forest becomes domanial with the Révolution.

The forest was the witness of the first tests of the Télégraphe of Chappe: July 12th 1793, 26 words were transmitted in 11 minutes of Ménilmontant to Saint-Martin-of-Hillock on a distance of 26 km.

Remarkable places

Pierre Turquaise

This monument Mégalithique is known to be the most important prehistoric monument of Ile-de-France. It was curiously victim of a Attentat with the explosive ever asserted in the night from December 14th to 15th 1985. It is the only known attack " anti-néolithique" history. A new restoration allowed a repairing of the monument.

the blue pond and the small pond

These artificial ponds, of a respective surface of 2 ha and 1,3 ha, were arranged in the middle of the forest in old careers of marl S, which give a blue coloring here. They reach for this reason a depth from 20 to 30 m and the bathe is prohibited there for safety reasons. One can on the other hand practice fishing there.

See too

Forest
List of the principal forests of France

External bonds

Site of the National office of the forests
the forest of Carnelle seen of the sky (Google Maps)

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