The sources of the Borgne

8 points of interest

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  Valleraugue

  Valleraugue is believed to derive from "vallis eraugia", the Hérault valley. With its 7,834 hectares, the town extends from the Hérault valley to the summit of Mont Aigoual. Valleraugue is located on an important transportation route between the garrigues and the uplands, and once had up to 4,192 inhabitants (1851). Just over a century ago, in 1907, Abbot Fesquet wrote in his monograph on the village: "The population has been reduced to 2,500 souls. There was a time when it was difficult to find lodgings, says a 1773 town council deliberation. Nowadays, accommodation is plentiful...". In the 2007 census, the population was 1,081.

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  1703

  In Valleraugue, exporting chestnuts in times of famine or trouble was forbidden by law. In 1703, however, during the Camisard War, an official decree ordered the inhabitants to transport their chestnuts and cereals to other villages. This was to deprive the insurgents, who were supported by the locals, of provisions. The goods were guarded, and the inhabitants only kept two weeks’ worth in reserve.

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  Flora

  Mediterranean level

  To begin with, the path is in the holm-oak altitudinal zone. Holm oaks tend to grow on the Mediterranean side of the watershed, where they are plentiful up to an altitude of about 500 m. Here, they have been eradicated to create crop terraces. On the either side of the path, which runs between high walls and has steps that give access to gardens, you can still see these terraces, now invaded by or planted with conifers. Like the holm oak, the tree heath and strawberry trees that are also present are typically Mediterranean species. Plants in this zone are xerophile, meaning that they thrive in dry environments. They are well-adapted because their small and glazed leaves limit water evaporation.

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  The keep of Monteils castle

  The castle to which this tower belonged was once part of the La Fare barony. It occupied a platform of about 400 m2; the ditch which used to protect its northwestern side has been filled in. The first three stories of this remarkable rectangular keep, which covers an area of 70 m2 on the ground, remain. They are built out of handsome schist dimension stones and have resisted due to the sturdiness of the thick walls, which are solid stone throughout. An enclosed courtyard once surrounded the keep. The stones from the castle and its surrounding wall were reused to build the hamlet’s houses.

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  Cévenol housing

  Houses normally occupied the centre of the cultivated area. Built from schist, they were tall and narrow to save the level ground for crops. When houses needed expanding, people either added another storey to existing buildings or built a new wing parallel to the contour lines. Hamlets were always constructed near water sources and often at mid-slope because the valley floors are susceptible to brutal flooding as well as difficult to access. Good exposure to sunlight was not a decisive factor in choosing sites.

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  Fauna

  Fish and other animals...

  On the river banks, a pretty white, grey and black bird paces up and down looking for insects, bopping its long tail up and down: the white wagtail. The more colourful grey wagtail is often seen alongside it. The white-throated dipper resembles a blackbird with a big white stain on its breast. It often disappears underwater to hunt insect larvae. Trout, which like the same prey, also live in the Gardon, where they keep anglers happy.

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  Electrified…

  The village’s inhabitants had access to electricity as early as 1919. The inconspicuous little hut on the opposite bank sheltered a little turbine supplied with water by a béal (irrigation channel). It was built by a villager, Mr Teston, and produced enough electricity for one lightbulb per household.

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  Fauna

  Look up!

  In the forest, Dartford warblers (black, burgundy belly) accompany your efforts by chirping from the top of broom bushes. You might also come across their cousin, the much more colourful Eastern subalpine warbler (orange belly), or else a Northern wheatear.  
  The ridges are home to two rare bird species, protected in both France and the European Union:  the red-backed shrike and the Eurasian eagle-owl. Other interesting protected species, such as the Eleonora’s falcon and the common rock thrush, may also be observed here.