Part 7 (1/2)

VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELD

A visit to Ypres Town and Salient requires two days, and may be made most conveniently by taking Lille as the starting-point.

_First Day_: Visit Messines, Wytschaete, Houthem, Zondvoorde, Gheluvelt, Becelaere, Zonnebeke, Pa.s.schendaele, Langemarck, Ypres, Zollebeke and Hooge, spending the night at Poperinghe.

_Second Day_: Visit the Hills: Scherpenberg, Vidaigne, Rouge and Kemmel; then, after re-crossing the French frontier, those of Cats and Noir, returning to Lille for the night, via Armentieres, Estaires, Bethune and La Ba.s.see.

=FIRST DAY: LILLE--YPRES= (_See Itinerary, p. 47._)

Starting-point: The Grande Place, Lille.

_Take Rue Nationale to the end, go round Place Tourcoing, take Rue de La Ba.s.see on the left, then the first turning on the right (Rue de Turenne), Canteleu Gate, and Rue Lequeux. Cross the bridge over the Haute-Deule Ca.n.a.l, and turn to the left into N. 42._

_At Canteleu follow the tram-lines leading to Lomme. At the end of the village, cross the railway (l. c.). Go through Lomme by Rue Thiers, leaving the church on the right_ (transept greatly damaged).

On the left are the burnt ruins of a large spinning mill. In the fields: numerous small forts of reinforced concrete, which commanded all the roads into Lille. The road pa.s.ses through a small wood, in the right-hand part of which are the ruins of Premesques Chateau, of which only the facade remains. Further on, to the left, is Wez Macquart, whose church was badly damaged. Trenches lead to the road, while in the fields, traces of the violent sh.e.l.ling are still visible.

_Pa.s.s through Chapelle d'Armentieres (completely destroyed). After crossing the railway (l. c.), a British cemetery is seen on the right._ =Armentieres= _lies on the other side of the next level crossing._

_After entering_ =Armentieres=, _and immediately beyond the railway, take Rue du Faubourg de Lille, leaving the Church of St. Roch on the right. After pa.s.sing a public was.h.i.+ng-place, turn to the right into the Rue de Lille, then cross the Grande Place._ Here will be seen the Hotel-de-Ville, completely ruined. _Take a few steps along Rue de Dunkerque, then turn into the first street on the right, which leads to the Place de l'Eglise St. Waast._

=Armentieres=

Armentieres suffered in many wars, being taken by the English in 1339, by the French in 1382, by the Calvinists in 1566, by Marshals de Ga.s.sion and De Rantzau in 1645, and by the Archduke Leopold in 1647.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ARMENTIeRES (_ancient engraving_)]

Occupied by the Germans in August, 1914, it was retaken in September.

Nearly four years later (April, 1918) it again fell into the hands of the enemy. On October 2, it was finally liberated by General Plumer's army.

Until the later war, Armentieres had preserved its 17th century belfry of chimes, its church of Notre-Dame, and another church dedicated to St.

Waast--patron saint of the town.

This personage, to whom many of the churches in this district have been dedicated, was Bishop of Arras in the 6th century. While still a priest, he is said to have cured a blind beggar in the presence of Clovis. This miracle was one of the causes which led to the conversion of the king, to whom St. Waast acted instructor in the Faith.

The town also possessed a national technical school, dating from the previous century.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VIEW OF ARMENTIeRES (_before the War_) THE RIVER LYS AND ST. WAAST CHURCH (_Cliche LL._)]

Belfry, churches, schools and houses are all in ruins.

In everything connected with the spinning and weaving of linen Armentieres, like Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing, and the whole of Northern France in general, was considerably in advance of Germany. Consequently, the Germans destroyed all the mills, factories and metallurgical works, and what machinery could not be taken to pieces and sent to Germany they ruthlessly smashed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ARMENTIeRES. ST. WAAST CHURCH AS THE GERMANS LEFT IT (_Compare with photo, p. 50._)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ARMENTIeRES AND THE RIVER LYS]