Forest of Ermenonville

The forest of Ermenonville is a domanial Forêt of Picardy, located in the Département of Oise, near to Senlis.

Of a surface of 3.280 hectares, it constitutes with the main forests of Chantilly and Halatte the Massif of the Three Forests, floret of the second green belt of Paris.

Geography

The forest of Ermenonville extends to north to the valley from the Nonette, to the west until the Forêt of Chantilly (from which it is separated by the highway from North), to the south to the valley of the Thève, the park of Vallière with Mortefontaine and the village of Ermenonville and with the east to the plate of the Valois.

It recovers a ground sandy and poor. Heath reigned there 150 years ago, but plantations of coniferous tree starting from 1840 modified the aspect of the solid mass.

History

One is unaware of all the history of the forest until the 12th century. Until the Revolution, the forest is essentially the possession of ecclesiastical communities (évêché of Senlis, Abbaye of Chaalis, abbey of the Victoire). At the 17th century, the forest rich in game becomes an hunting ground of the princes of Condé who arrange a dense network of star alleys there. Become quite national under the Revolution, it is divided under the Empire between Joseph Bonaparte (left southern close to Mortefontaine) and the Maréchal Kellermann (left is) before becoming again domanial under the Restauration. Composed for about half of moors and Heather S being useful for the pasturage of the herds, of the coniferous trees are systematically planted in empty spaces starting from 1840.

In June 1940, the forest knows the most serious disaster of its history: 800 hectares of wood leave in smoke during a vast forest fire. The installation since of avoid-fires contributes to limit the extension of possible fires. March 3rd 1974, a DC10 of Turkish Airlines is crushed in the forest by making 346 victims. A memorial was set up to remember this air crash it.

Fauna and flora

The current settlement is essentially made up of Taillis and Taillis under grove of Chêne S and Hêtre S.

The forest was planted from 1840 of 1.700 hectares coniferous tree (woodland pines especially but also maritime pines S and pines laricio).

The forest shelters many large animals: Wild boar S, stag S and Roe-deer S as well as Green woodpecker S in the wood of coniferous tree.

Ways and roads

The forest offers to the walkers a network ways and crossroads. Thanks to the sandy nature of the grounds, the excursion remains possible there in winter.

Remarkable trees

Places and monuments

See too

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