Heilly Flea Market

Heilly Flea Market: a summer rederie in the heart of the Picard Santerre

In the Somme, when summer settles in and the fields turn yellow around the villages, the rederies bloom on Sundays in the streets and squares. The one in Heilly, traditionally organized in late July, is one of those long-awaited events where we find all the charm of a rural Picard flea market: the simplicity of the stalls set up at dawn, the unexpected finds pulled from village attics, the smell of fries and sausages wafting from noon.

Heilly, village of the Ancre valley

Heilly is a small commune of the Somme located on the course of the Ancre, this discreet tributary of the Somme that crosses the Picard countryside between Albert and Corbie. The village, nestled in a green valley, retains the traces of a modest but endearing heritage: the church, some beautiful farms in red brick characteristic of Picardy, and the memory of the château de Heilly.

What to find

As in most village rederies of the Somme, we find mostly what the inhabitants wish to pass on over the years: clothing for children and adults, toys, old and modern books, crockery, linen, small furniture, knick-knacks, tools, garden equipment.

The rederie spirit, Picard tradition

The rederie is to Picardy what the brocante is to Provence: an institution. The word, typical of the region, designates both the flea market and the particular atmosphere that accompanies it. At Heilly, this tradition is perpetuated with the loyalty found in every Somme village that organizes its annual rederie.

A family day in the Somme countryside

Visiting the Heilly rederie is also an opportunity for a beautiful day in the Somme. The surroundings offer plenty to extend the visit: the ponds of the Ancre valley, the memory sites of the Battle of the Somme around Albert and Thiepval, the gardens of Corbie.