Part 14 (1/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration: CATS HILL ABBEY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: DESTRUCTION OF THE CHAPEL CHOIR]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE COURTYARD OF CATS HILL ABBEY AFTER THE BOMBARDMENTS]

_On the far side of the level-crossing the road rises, and the Abbey on the top of_ =Cats Hill= _soon comes into view_.

There is a magnificent view from the wayside-cross on the plateau. Visit the monastery, whose buildings suffered greatly from the bombardments.

_Pa.s.s in front of the cross and take the second road on the right, which slopes down fairly quickly to the village of_ =Berthem=, _through which the tourist pa.s.ses_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VIDAIGNE HILL AND NOIR HILL]

_In the hamlet of_ =Schaexnen=, _opposite the inn with the sign ”Au Vieux Schaexnen,” turn to the left, pa.s.sing in front of a small chateau in the middle of a wood on the right. A plateau_--=Noir Hill=--_ploughed up by countless sh.e.l.ls, is reached shortly afterwards_.

_At the fork in the road turn to the right_ (the road on the left leads back into Belgium).

_Go through the hamlet of_ =La Croix-de-Poperinghe=, _then at the next fork take the road to_ =Bailleul= _on the right_. _At Bailleul leave the lunatic asylum on the left._ The French custom-house is in the Rue d'Ypres. (In June, 1919, there was as yet no corresponding office at Locre in Belgium.)

Bailleul suffered terribly from the bombardments, most of the houses being destroyed.

Bailleul was taken by three German divisions on April 15, 1918, as well as Little Hill and the Ravelsberg, to the west of the town. But the next day the German forces, who had orders to consolidate their success and turn the chain of hills from the south, were rudely checked by French divisions, rushed up to relieve their British comrades, and in three days, thanks to the prompt and vigorous action of General Petain, they were driven back.

_Have a look round the Grande Place before taking the Rue de Lille_ (N.

42) _on the left_. _At the Noveau-Monde cross-roads_, where there is an important munitions depot with railway-station, _turn sharply to the left, leaving Lille Hill on the left_.

_After twice crossing the railway_ (_l. c._) the Customs Barracks are pa.s.sed. The road pa.s.ses over three more level-crossings, skirts the frontier, crosses the railway, and then the Stilbecque stream. _Next pa.s.s through_ =Nieppe= village--almost entirely demolished; _then over the railway_ (_l. c._). _Cross the Lys by the Nieppe Bridge and enter_ =Armentieres=, _via the Rue de Nieppe_.

_At the cross-roads take Rue Nationale on the right, and follow the tram-lines as far as the crossing of Rue de Lille with Rue de Marle.

Take the latter to the right, and cross the railway_ (_l. c._).

For particulars concerning Armentieres, see pp. 49--55, first Itinerary.

_Keep straight to_ =Bois-Grenier=, _turning to the right in front of the ruined church_.

_Outside the village take the second road on the right to_ =Fleurbaix=.

_Pa.s.s the church, of which a few walls are still standing_ (photo below), _then turn to the left beyond the Square into Rue de Quesnes_.

Numerous concrete shelters were built inside the houses.

_Near the British cemetery the road turns to the right, then to the left, and enters_ =Laventie=. _Turn to the right in the Place de l'Eglise, then to the left over a level-crossing near the station_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DESTROYED CHURCH OF FLEURBAIX]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LAVENTIE CHURCH, RUINED BY THE BOMBARDMENTS]

_After several turnings the road runs past a small ruined chapel, crosses a river, then turns to the right, and crosses the Lys. At the first houses of_ =Estaires=, _100 yards beyond the bridge, turn to the left, amid the ruins._

_Pa.s.s the ruined gasworks and follow the main street shown in the photo below._ In the middle ground of this photograph are seen the walls of the church, the steeple of which has fallen in.