Part 13 (1/2)

Of its three churches, two only are interesting from an artistic point of view.

The Church of St. Jean is Romanesque in style, whilst that of St. Bertin contains some remarkable woodwork: the Verite pulpit, the Dean's confessional, and the roof-loft are masterpieces of the Renaissance period.

In the court of the Hotel Skindles there is a tombstone dating from 1171.

Old houses are rare in Poperinghe, the town having several times been destroyed during its history.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

=SECOND DAY: POPERINGHE--LILLE=

=Via The Hills of Flanders, Armentieres, Nieppe Forest, Merville and Bethune=

_Visit to the Hills_: Scherpenberg, Vidaigne, Rouge and Kemmel in Belgium; and the Mont des Cats and Mont Noir in France.

_At the Grande Place of Poperinghe take Rue Flamande, then Chaussee de Reninghelst, turn to the left along the Rue des Pretres, and then turn to the right into the Rue Boescheppe, opposite the church of St.

Bertin._

_Pa.s.s in front of the_ =Diocesan College=, the roof of which was badly damaged by sh.e.l.l-fire. _In the Place Bertel turn to the right._

_Cross the river by a recently restored bridge, then skirt, on the left, the communal cemetery_, where the graves have been destroyed by the sh.e.l.ls, and _cross the Hazebrouck-Ypres railway_ (_l. c._).

[Ill.u.s.tration: LA CLYTTE ROAD AND THE MONT ROUGE]

On the left is an Allied cemetery containing 500 to 600 graves. On the right against the sky is =Cats Hill=. Numerous machine-guns shelters can still be seen along the road. _Cross a narrow-gauge railway_, which serves a military station on the right.

_The road is first undulating, then descends to_ =Reninghelst=. _Here leave on the left the church_, which has not greatly suffered. In the churchyard near by, there are a few French soldiers' graves. _At the cross-roads, turn to the left, then 200 yards further on, at_ =Zevecoten=, take the road on the right to =La Clytte=.

The further we advance the greater the devastation of the ground becomes.

_At the first houses of Clytte Hamlet, turn to the right._ The German rush of 1918 was broken before this village.

After the capture of Kemmel Hill, a violent enemy attack on April 27 broke down before the desperate resistance of the French 28th Infantry Division (Madelin) and the British 9th Infantry Division.

=Kemmel= is seen on the left, and =Scherpenberg= in front.

_Pa.s.s the church_ (photo, p. 111). _The road turns to the right beyond the last houses, and gradually climbs the slopes of_ =Scherpenberg= (alt.i.tude, 340 feet). The side of this hill is almost perpendicular, and in it are numerous remains of shelters.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The narrow road which led to the top was completely destroyed. The ascent can, however, be made on foot.

In spite of all their efforts, the Germans failed to reach Scherpenberg in their offensive of 1918. Their efforts to outflank the Flanders Hills on the north broke down before the resistance of the French 39th Infantry Division (Ma.s.senet) on April 26, 27 and 28, 1918.

_At the next fork turn to the right into the village of_ =Westoutre=.

Here the road winds through the valley. The river on the left has, owing to sh.e.l.l-fire, become a small lake. Westoutre suffered greatly in the bombardments.