In the heart of Beaumont-sur-Oise, less than an hour north of Paris, contribute to the knowledge of one of Île-de-France's most important castles by helping to carry out a study prior to its restoration, by surveying the flora and fauna found there, and by carrying out archaeological work on several of its walls to better understand its construction.
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Between Paris and Beauvais, the Château de Beaumont dominates the Oise valley from its hilltop position.
Originally the main fortress of the powerful Counts of Beaumont-sur-Oise, with its seigniorial dwelling built entirely of cut stone over thirty meters high, the château became a royal residence in the 13th century, favored by kings such as Louis IX and Philippe le Bel, who gave it its imposing ring of ramparts.
Home to the Dukes of Orléans in the 15th century, the château was ravaged by the Hundred Years' War and then by the Wars of Religion, a victim of its strategic status as the site defended the main road between Paris and Flanders, and was of major economic and military interest. It has been in ruins since the 17thcentury .
At the foot of the seigniorial dwelling stood a religious complex known as Saint-Léonor.
A collegiate church at the time of the Counts of Beaumont in the 11th century, it was transformed into a priory by Count Mathieu I, Grand Chamberlain of France, between 1107 and 1110. The priory depended on the great abbey of Cluny through Saint-Martin-des-Champs de Paris.
A particularly prosperous monastery with a colossal church until the 15th century, the Saint-Léonor de Beaumont priory almost disappeared completely after the violent conflicts of the 15th and 16th centuries. Today, all that remains are two walls and an apse, and a subterranean room corresponding to a 13th-century crypt or chapel.
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Over the course of the two-week project, the volunteers, supervised by a professional botanist, will carry out a complete survey of the flora and fauna of the château site, in order to establish the richness of its biodiversity. Agents from the French Office for Biodiversity and the Oise Pays de France Regional Nature Park will be on hand to lend their expertise to the survey.
The work will involve clearing some of the castle's walls to enable them to be studied through building archaeology operations. An introductory course with a professional archaeologist on building survey and photogrammetry techniques , leading to visualizations that will provide a better understanding of the castle's building history.
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Other volunteer activities during your stay
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In addition to preserving the building's heritage, the Cercle Beaumontois du Patrimoine is committed to enhancing the monument by discovering and caring for its rich biodiversity.
Workshops toobserve flora and fauna, in particular bats, with a specialist association,landscaping workor plant regulation, and reflection on the use of plants to help interpret the history of the site are all part of the program. As the volunteers will be dismantling certain parts of the château, compensatory measures will be taken to make various types of carpentry shelters for certain birds or hedgehogs living in the château.
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Group living and accommodation
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During your stay, you'll be supervised by a team of activity leaders. The technical supervisor will teach you all about traditional building techniques, while the educational supervisors will help you organize your daily life and activities.
The time set aside for work is around 32 hours a week for adults. Work on the site generally takes place in the morning, starting early because of the summer heat. After the morning's work, the afternoons, evenings and weekends are devoted to outdoor activities and discovery, providing relaxation and enjoyment.
If you need to travel between your accommodation and the château, you can do so on foot, as our accommodation is less than a fifteen-minute walk away. For those who feel the need, motorized transport is available.
You'll take it in turns to prepare meals as a team. Everyone will be able to share recipes from their own regions, and take advantage of the stay to sample the specialities of different members of the group.
Those who are experts in the kitchen will be able to share their skills and techniques with those less accustomed to being behind the stove.
The solidarity between volunteers will delight the whole group!
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You'll be staying in the Salle Léo Lagrange, the town's concert hall, ten minutes from Beaumont castle, with showers, kitchen, sanitary facilities and a dormitory on (comfortable!) cots.
Please let us know if you have reduced mobility, so that we can welcome you in the best possible conditions.
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Leisure and other activities
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On all our workcamps, we want volunteers to be the real protagonists of their stay, so we invite them to get together and suggest the activities and entertainment of their choice from among those we can offer.
Some ideas for outings : The National Renaissance Museum at Château d'Écouen, Royaumont Abbey, Maubuisson Abbey, Auvers-sur-Oise in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh, Pontoise and its underground passages, the banks of the River Oise, the Carnelle forest, the Saint-Leu and Saint-Maximin stone quarries, the 15 arpents quarry at Mériel... and relaxation at the intercommunal swimming pool or the Beaumont climbing wall!
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No special skills are required to take part.
Once you have pre-registered, please contact us by phone or e-mail.
The telephone call will enable us to get to know you better and give you more details about the site (organization, arrival arrangements, etc.).
You can ask us any questions you may have, and let us know what you need to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
We will welcome you on Monday July 21 from 4pm.
Departures will be organized on Saturday August 2 before 5pm.
- Access by train: Persan-Beaumont station : take line H from Paris Gare du Nord towards Persan-Beaumont (terminus) or the TER towards Beauvais (first stop, Persan-Beaumont) or Nointel-Mours station from Gare du Nord line H towards Persan-Beaumont via Montsoult-Maffliers.
- Access by car : Parking spaces available on the premises and at the château. Don't hesitate to carpool!
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Last year's volunteer achievements
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In 2024, the group of volunteers took 10 days to uncover the remains of the Saint-Léonor collegiate church, freeing them from a tarpaulin held down by 10m3 of concrete using jackhammers, cleaning up the surrounding area and applying a lime mortar glaze to the building's wall heads.
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