Ypres and the Battles of Ypres Part 12

Almost opposite, at No. 68, was the old 14th century =Templars' House=, since turned into a post-office (photo, p. 96). The Church of St. Pierre is next reached.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINS OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH (_see above_)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. PETER'S CHURCH. THE CHOIR (_See below._)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ST. PETER'S CHURCH, THE CHOIR BEFORE THE WAR (_photo, Antony, Ypres_)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RAMPARTS, LILLE GATE AND ST. PETER'S CHURCH (_Photo, Antony, Ypres._) _See below._]

This 11th century church had been largely rebuilt. The facade was surmounted by a substantial square tower, flanked by four corner turrets and crowned by an octagonal spire rebuilt in 1868.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AFTER FOUR YEARS' BOMBARDMENTS (_see above_).]

Inside, lofty columns supported the springing of the large irregular arches. There was no vaulting, the church having a timber-work roof in shape of an inverted keel. In it were a 16th century altar, large carved pulpit and a fine choir-screen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE RUIN OF YPRES TAKEN FROM THE LILLE GATE (_The point from where this photograph was taken is shown on the plan on p. 72_ (_at the bottom, on the right_).)

St. Nicolas Old French Barracks School Belltower St. Peters Church St.

James' Church]

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUINS OF THE HoTEL DE GAND, RUE DES CHIENS]

Rue de Lille ends at Lille Gate. Before pa.s.sing through, climb up the ramparts, from which there is a magnificent panorama.

Pa.s.s through the Gate, the towers of which date from 1395. There is an interesting view over the wide moats, and of the ancient ramparts (rebuilt by Vauban), which were ruined by sh.e.l.ls.

_Turn back and re-enter the town by the same way. Beyond the Church of St. Pierre, take the first street on the right as far as the Rue des Chiens, where, on turning to the left_, the ruins of the Church St.

Jacques, and the shattered facade of the Hotel de Gand will be seen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE HoTEL DE GAND (_Photo, Antony, Ypres._)]

The latter fine house, with double gables dated from the 16th century.

The transition from 15th to 16th century style is very marked: on the ground-floor is the irregular arch of the 15th century, while on the first floor the arches are full semi-circles, framing the rectangular bays, whose tympana are decorated with flamboyant figures. These tympana were added some years later, thus giving the wide 17th century windows, of which the (French) architect of the Hotel Merghelynck made such happy use (photo, p. 101).

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRITISH CEMETERY AT THE HOSPICE NoTRE-DAME]

_Having reached the Grande-Place, take the Rue de Menin on the right_, leaving on the left the ruins of the Hospice Notre-Dame. _Next take the Menin Road, to visit the Chateau de Hooge and_ =Zillebeke=.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MENIN GATE _On leaving Ypres in the direction of Hooge and Zillebeke._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRITISH CEMETERY JUST OUTSIDE YPRES, ON THE ROAD TO MENIN]

=Visit to Zillebeke and Hooge= (_See Itinerary, p. 47._)

_At the Menin Gate leave the Westroosebeke Road on the left, and take the main road to Menin on the right._

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRITISH CEMETERY AT ZILLEBEKE]

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 pa.s.sing 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 Chateau, whilst in the distance lies =Zillebeke Pond=. On the left is another cemetery. _Pa.s.s, on the left, the beginning of an impa.s.sable 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).

[Ill.u.s.tration: ZILLEBEKE IN 1919 _The mound is all that remains of the Church Tower seen in the photo below_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ZILLEBEKE, BEFORE THE WAR (_photo, Antony, Ypres_)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRITISH CEMETERY AT HOOGE]

_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 chateau 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 chateau itself was captured in June.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ALL THAT IS LEFT OF HOOGE--THE SIGNBOARD!]

[Ill.u.s.tration: HOOGE CHaTEAU (_photo, Antony, Ypres_)

_To-day the site of the castle is barely discernable._]

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_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TANK CEMETERY _To the right and left of the road from Ypres to Menin, beyond Hooge, fourteen tanks lie sunk in the mud._]

=From Ypres to Poperinghe=

_Cross the town by the Grande Place, Rue du Beurre, Rue des Stuers, Boulevard Malou, on the right, and Rue Cap.r.o.n, on the left, coming out at the Chaussee de Poperinghe. On leaving the town pa.s.s 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 Chaussee d'Ypres, continue by the Rue d'Ypres. Pa.s.sing the Hotel-des-Postes and the Hotel-de-Ville, the tourist comes to the Grande Place_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: POPERINGHE: BERTIN PLACE AND CHURCH OF ST. BERTIN]

=Poperinghe=

Poperinghe, a small town of 12,000 inhabitants, is the centre of an agricultural district, where hop-growing is the chief industry.