At the Menin Gate leave the Westroosebeke Road on the left, and take the main road to Menin on the right.
On the right, near the last houses, a British cemetery (photo above). Before the level-crossing over the Ypres-Routers railway, take the road to the right. After passing two further level-crossings, the road descends slightly. On the left is a large British cemetery: on the high ground to the right are the remains of the Château, whilst in the distance lies Zillebeke Pond. On the left is another cemetery. Pass, on the left, the beginning of an impassable road, which formerly led to the main road from Menin. Go past the ruins of Zillebeke Church, shown in the photographs, p. 104 (before and after the War).
Return by the same road as far as the railway, and turn to the right. A large British cemetery, containing 1,500 to 2,000 graves, will be seen on the western slopes of the Hooge Crest. The site of the village of Hooge—marked only by a notice board—is next reached. There is no trace whatever left of the château or of Bellewaarde Lake. It was here that the battles of July 31, 1917, were fought. On June 2, 1917, the first objectives of the British, in their offensive for the clearing of Ypres, were the Wood and Village of Hooge. They were only taken on July 31, although the château itself was captured in June.
Again lost by the British in April, 1918, these positions were evacuated by the Germans in October.
Follow the road to the top of the crest, where the "tank cemetery," containing fourteen broke-down tanks, lies (photo below).
Now skirt on the right the beginning of Sanctuary Wood, beyond which is the strategic Hill 60.
Hill 60 was captured by the Germans in 1914, and retaken by the British in 1915. It was the object of frequent attacks, chiefly the German attack of April 27—28, 1916.
At the place called Veldhoek, opposite Herenthage Wood (full of concrete shelters and tanks), return to Ypres, entering the town by the Menin Gate.
Cross the town by the Grande Place, Rue du Beurre, Rue des Stuers, Boulevard Malou, on the right, and Rue Capron, on the left, coming out at the Chaussée de Poperinghe. On leaving the town pass over the level-crossing.
From Ypres to Vlamertinghe, the road runs through devastated country; here numerous trenches and machine-gun shelters can still be seen.
Take the level-crossing over the Hazebrouck-Ypres railway, then cross the Kemmelbeek by a bridge, still in good condition, and go through Vlamertinghe. This village suffered greatly from bombardments. In front of the partly demolished church the road turns to the left.
From Vlamertinghe to Poperinghe the aspect of the country changes completely. The road is shaded by large trees, and there are hop-fields on both sides.
Enter Poperinghe by the Chaussée d'Ypres, continue by the Rue d'Ypres. Passing the Hôtel-des-Postes and the Hôtel-de-Ville, the tourist comes to the Grande Place.
Poperinghe, a small town of 12,000 inhabitants, is the centre of an agricultural district, where hop-growing is the chief industry.
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 Vérité pulpit, the Dean's confessional, and the roof-loft are masterpieces of the Renaissance period.
In the court of the Hôtel Skindles there is a tombstone dating from 1171.
Old houses are rare in Poperinghe, the town having several times been destroyed during its history.
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 Chaussée de Reninghelst, turn to the left along the Rue des Prêtres, and then turn to the right into the Rue Boescheppe, opposite the church of St. Bertin.
Pass in front of the Diocesan College, the roof of which was badly damaged by shell-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 shells, and cross the Hazebrouck-Ypres railway (l. c.).
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.
Pass the church (photo, p. 111). The road turns to the right beyond the last houses, and gradually climbs the slopes of Scherpenberg (altitude, 340 feet). The side of this hill is almost perpendicular, and in it are numerous remains of shelters.
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 (Massenet) 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 shell-fire, become a small lake. Westoutre suffered greatly in the bombardments.
Pass the Town Hall, then turn to the left in front of the church. The road rises sharply, and winds round Vidaigne Hill. The many shelters in the sides of the hill can plainly be seen.
Behind the hill, leave the road leading to the French frontier, and take on the left the road which first descends and then climbs the slopes of Rouge Hill. From the plateau there is a splendid view across the plains.
Leave on the left the ruins of the Chapel of Nôtre-Dame-de-Lourdes.
The road, rising rather stiffly, runs into the Bailleul Road. On turning to the right, the first houses of Locre village are reached.
Locre was the scene of terrific fighting during the German offensive against the Flanders Hills in 1918. On April 19, 1918, it was taken by the enemy after a daring advance by their Alpine Corps, which had succeeded in reaching Kemmelbeek Valley. On the same day, the soldiers of this picked corps continued their advance as far as the crossing with the Westoutre road, 1 kilomètre to the north of Locre; but here the French dragoons, in an irresistible counter-attack, drove the Germans back and recaptured Locre, leaving only the Hospice, to the south-east of the village, in enemy hands.
Beyond the ruins of the church, in the middle of a devastated cemetery, turn to the left; then at the next fork, leaving some French graves on the left, take the road on the right leading to Kemmel Hill.
This hill, the first of the Hills of Flanders, is famous for the battles fought there in 1918. On April 17, 1918, the Germans had reached the foot. On the 25th, they rushed to the attack, encircling and capturing the hill, which was held by the French 30th Infantry Regiment. During the next and following days French counter-attacks failed to dislodge the enemy. It was only on August 30 that the Germans evacuated the hill; on the 31st it was occupied by the British.
Pass Burgrave Farm. At the foot of the hill (inaccessible to vehicles) the road turns to the left. Here the ground is completely churned up, the bits of road being connected up by little bridges thrown across the shell-holes. In the distance is seen the ruined church of Kemmel (photo, p. 113). On reaching the village, turn to the right, to visit the ruins of the château (photo, p. 114), then return to the fork and take the road on the right.
The road is hilly, as the photograph, taken 500 yards this side of the crossing with the La Clytte road, shows. Keeping straight along the road by which he came, as far as Zevecoten, the tourist then returns first to the left and then to the right.
In the centre of Reninghelst village, take the Neuve-Eglise road on the left. At the fork in the road at Heksken, turn to the right towards Poperinghe. Cross the river. At the crossing of the road from Poperinghe to Boeschèpe, turn to the left to visit the largest cemetery in this region (shown on the Itinerary, p. 108), which contains 20,000 to 22,000 graves The photograph gives but a slight idea of the size of it.
Retracing his steps the tourist takes the road which first skirts the railway, and then crosses it (l. c.) to rejoin the Poperinghe-Steenwoorde road. Take the latter on the left. (See Itinerary, p. 108.)
At the hamlet of Abeele there is a Belgian custom-house (visa of "triptyque" or motor-car permit). The French custom-house is at Steenwoorde (the third house to the right on entering). Usual formalities.
Opposite the custom office take I.C. 128 on the left, which, after several turnings, leads to Godewaerstelde. Leave the village on the left.
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.
Pass 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 passes.
In the hamlet of Schaexnen, opposite the inn with the sign "Au Vieux Schaexnen," turn to the left, passing in front of a small château in the middle of a wood on the right. A plateau—Noir Hill—ploughed up by countless shells, 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 Pétain, 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 depôt 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 passed. The road passes over three more level-crossings, skirts the frontier, crosses the railway, and then the Stilbecque stream. Next pass through Nieppe village—almost entirely demolished; then over the railway (l. c.). Cross the Lys by the Nieppe Bridge and enter Armentières, 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 Armentières, 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.
Pass 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.
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.
Pass 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.
Leave on the left the Square, in which formerly stood the Hôtel-de-Ville; its ruined belfry is now a mere heap of bricks and stones.
Beyond a German cemetery on the right, pass through Neuf-Berquin, after which, on turning to the left, Merville comes into view.
At the entrance is the cemetery, the area of which has been doubled by serried rows of little wooden crosses, each marking a British grave.
If time can be spared (two or three hours) proceed as far as Nieppe Forest, keeping straight on, and leaving Merville on the left.
Contrarily to other forests in the battle area, Nieppe Forest did not suffer greatly, although, like the others, it concealed munitions and stores. (Note the numerous narrow-gauge rails lying along the roadside.)
The roads themselves bear traces of hastily constructed defence-works.
On the left, near the outskirts of the forest, a pathway leads to a cemetery containing British soldiers' graves.
La Motte-au-Bois, lying in a clearing, suffered little. Its 17th century château, which escaped destruction, can be reached by crossing the canal over a temporary bridge, leaving on the right a small octagonal chapel of no special interest.
Return by the same road to Merville, and pass through it, taking a glance at the ruins of the church on the right. Cross the canal, the Lys, and the railway near the station, and turn to the left immediately afterwards.
Follow the railway, then re-cross it. The road here runs parallel to the canal. At the next fork leave on the left the road to the Gorgue; turn to the right, cross the railway, and enter Lestrem. Beyond the bridge over the Lawe, pass the church, then turn to the right, and skirt the grounds of an old ruined château.
This château—completely restored in 1890—was used by the Germans as an observation-post, and subsequently blown up by them on April 10, 1918 (photo, p. 122).
On leaving Lestrem the road winds. On the left, broken fragments of ironwork mark the site of the distillery, which provided a livelihood for part of the working population of La Fosse village. The ruined church is seen to the left, on the far side of the canal.
Go through the hamlet of Zelobes, which, like that of Lobes, was razed to the ground.
Pass through what was Locon village (photo, p. 123).
Lawe Canal, after running parallel to the road, turns and cuts it. Cross the canal by the temporary bridge.
A little further on, the road again follows the canal as far as the entrance to Béthune.
Cross the Aires Canal, pass the railway station on the left, then through the horse-market to the Place de la République. Cross the latter and take the Rue de Rivage to the Grande Place.
For four years the whole district just passed through, since leaving Armentières, was the scene of incessant fighting.
In October, 1914, it saw the close of the fighting which concluded the "race to the sea," and the stabilising of the front here resulted in more than six months' continuous fighting.
A little later, the Artois offensive of 1915 found an echo in local operations for the possession of key positions like Festubert and Neuve-Chapelle, giving rise to sanguinary struggles without decisive result for either side.
Finally, in 1918, it was the scene of the third great German offensive for the conquest of the Hills (see pp. 38—43.)
The foundation in 984 of the Collegiate Church of St. Bartholomew, by Robert I., ancestor of Sully, is the first mention of Béthune in history. The town, owned in turn by the Counts of Flanders, the Dukes of Burgundy, and the House of Austria, annexed to France at the Peace of Nimègue in 1678, taken in 1710 by the Triple Alliance, was finally restored to France in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht.
A fraternity, called the "Confrérie des Charitables," still survives. Founded after the plague of 1188 by two blacksmiths, to whom St. Eloi appeared in a vision, asking them to assist their fellow-countrymen who were dying unsuccoured, it performed the burial rites of the dead.
During the Great War the town was intermittently bombarded for three and a half years, but from the end of February, 1918, to April 21 the violence of the shelling increased tenfold, and on the latter date the civil population had to be evacuated, the battle having carried the German lines within two miles of Béthune.
On April 13—18 the bombardment became so intense that the town was almost razed to the ground.
The officials and the miners of the district were mentioned in Orders of the Day for their courage and endurance.
At first sight, the town does not seem to have suffered so much, but this impression soon passes.
The Grande Place (photo, p. 126) where the chief beauties of this small town were concentrated, is now a heap of bricks and stones.
The old houses have fallen in; only the façade of one of them (No. 44), dating from the 16th century, remains, and even this one was severely damaged and is now supported by wooden props.
Of the modern Hôtel-de-Ville there remains only a small portion of the façade (photo, p. 127), whilst the Savings Bank on the left is a shapeless ruin.
The belfry, built in 1346 and restored forty years later, is still standing, but the upper portion of it has disappeared, and the houses which surrounded it have fallen in.
Its tower is standing, as far as the upper part of the sun-dial, whilst the four admirable gargoyles which project at the corners, and the graceful curve of the pointed windows of its first storey, escaped injury.
The remains of the spiral staircase leading to the top may still be seen, but the 15th century wooden spire has gone.
This spire contained a peal of bells, one of which, dated 1576, was called "La Joyeuse."
"La Joyeuse" is silenced for ever.
This peal gave its name to the street behind the belfry, which leads to the Church of St. Waast (1533—1545), whose massive tower was more than half-a-century later than the rest of the building.
To leave the town, return from the Grande Place to the Place de la République (in June, 1917, it was impossible to take the Rue d'Arras, which is the direct road, all this part of the town being obstructed by ruins).
In the Place de la République take the Boulevard Victor-Hugo on the right, and then Rue Marcelin-Berthelot, also on the right. At the cross-roads take the Rue de Lille to the left. The Faubourg de Lille suffered severely from the bombardment. Take N. 41 alongside the Aire Canal.
For four years the fighting never ceased in this region. Leave the Festubert sector on the right. Throughout the struggle, the Canadians fought so bravely that one of their recruiting posters was dedicated to the heroes of Festubert, with this inscription:
"Oui, vous avez raison, c'est hideux le carnage,
Oui, le progrès blessé recule et se débat,
Notre siècle en fureur retourne au moyen âge,
Mais sachons donc nous battre, au moins, puisqu'on se bat."
At the crossing of N. 41 and 43 leave the latter on the right.
Cross the Grande Rue d'Annequin. From here, on the right, coalpit No. 9 can be seen, with its wrecked machinery in the air—a mass of twisted ironwork.
The ruined village of Cambrin is next passed through. On the other side of the level-crossing, leave on the right the badly damaged village of Auchy-lez-La-Bassée. The road now follows the canal. After crossing the railway (l. c.) vast heaps of broken railway trucks smashed by the shells can be seen in the fields on the right. Further on are eight or nine blockhouses which were formerly brick-kilns. Turn to the left, cross the railway, then the Aire Canal by the new suspension bridge (beside the old one shown in the photograph) and enter La Bassée, now a heap of ruins.
La Bassée, an important centre standing at the junction of several roads and railways, in the heart of the plain of Flanders, south-west of Lille, was the objective of many desperate struggles during the war.
In October, 1914, the district of La Bassée was the scene of endless conflicts between the Allied and enemy cavalry forces, the little town finally remaining in the hands of the Germans.
A year later, the British offensive in Artois drove back the Germans south of La Bassée, whilst to the north the positions of Neuve-Chapelle and Aubers were bitterly disputed. However, the lines shifted but little, and La Bassée still remained in the centre of the line of fire.
During the German offensive of 1918, the town again came inside the German lines, but the enemy were driven out shortly afterwards, during the Allied offensive that led to the Armistice and to the consummation of victory.
Go through the Rue d'Estaires, in which there is a large and very high armoured shelter that served as an observation-post. Pass the ruined church (photo, p. 132), then turn to the right into the Grande Place. Inside a three-storied house, which later collapsed under the shell-fire (photo, p. 132), there was a German observation-post of concrete, armed with machine-guns.
On leaving La Bassée continue along N. 41, with its fine trees cut down and left along the sides of the road. Pass the first houses of Illies village, on the left, and 100 yards further on, cross a large avenue (leading to the Château de Varneton).