Ercheu Spring Flea Market

Bargain hunting in spring in the east of the Somme

Ercheu is a small rural community located in the extreme east of the Somme department, on the border with Oise, in the Santerre plain. The village, of about 400 inhabitants, organizes two major events dedicated to bargain hunting each year: a spring flea market in June and a second event in autumn in September. The spring edition takes place on Rue du village, the main artery of the town, and welcomes private exhibitors and a few professionals in the friendly atmosphere of Picardy country flea markets.

A regional flea market

The Ercheu flea market perfectly embodies this Picardy tradition of village events organized by the festivities committee or local association. The exhibitors, mostly residents of the village and neighboring communities — Ognolles, Beuvraignes, Roiglise, Roye — unpack on the sidewalks the expected classic of the flea market: old dishware, household linen, books, old toys, comics, records, retro clothes, small furniture, tools, various trinkets. Visitors appreciate the tranquility of bargain hunting without jostling and the pleasure of discussion with exhibitors of marked personality.

In the heart of the Santerre

Ercheu is located in the Santerre, this large fertile agricultural plain that occupies the southeast of the Somme. The landscapes are those of immense cereal fields, punctuated by villages with tile and slate roofs. The region, less touristic than the Picardy coast or the Bay of Somme, offers visitors an immersion in the deep rural Somme, far from marked circuits. Bargain hunters who take the road to Ercheu discover an authentic territory, whose identity is read in the manor-farms, pink brick and flint churches, and small roads bordered by hedges.

Two editions a year

The peculiarity of Ercheu is therefore to host two flea markets in the year: that of June 12 in spring, and a second in September. This recurrence testifies to the dynamism of the village and the attachment of the inhabitants to this tradition of popular bargain hunting. For enthusiasts, the two editions complement each other, with sometimes different exhibitors and an atmosphere varying according to the season — sunnier in June, more autumnal and gourmet in September.