Bermicourt combines church history and the heritage of the British Tank Corps with seasonal dining and examples of tours with specific dates. When planning your trip, it is important to distinguish between the time periods: dinner in the garden barn is available for a set period, while the walking and cycling programmes are from the 2023 and 2024 editions. This helps you distinguish the village’s enduring history from specific, time-bound planning details.

The church and its historical layers

Bermicourt’s church was partially destroyed in 1559; its choir dates from 1560 and survives to this day. The date of the destruction and the date of the choir refer to different aspects of the building’s history. Documents from the 15th century attest to the patronage of Notre-Dame and the dedication to Sainte-Marie. The church’s history thus brings together a recorded religious dedication, partial destruction and a surviving element from the 16th century.

Tank Corps heritage in Bermicourt

The history of the First World War is also connected to a specific place: on the eve of the offensive, the British Tank Corps under General Elles established its headquarters at the Château de Bermicourt, owned by Count Jean de Hauteclocque, and remained there until the end of the war. At a second Franco-British ceremony, a faithful replica of the small tank was reinstalled in Bermicourt. The Tank Corps memorial is in the car park of La Cour de Rémi; step-free access is available. Check the access arrangements locally before your visit.

Landscape and seasonal cuisine

Bermicourt lies within the landscape area “La Vallée de la Ternoise et ses versants de St-Pol à Hesdin et le vallon de Bergueneuse,” a continental ZNIEFF type 2 area. The name refers to the Ternoise valley, its slopes from St-Pol to Hesdin, and the vallon de Bergueneuse. This landscape perspective complements the specific historical themes surrounding the church and the Tank Corps.

For a culinary highlight, La Grange at La Cour de Rémi offers a special dining service in the garden barn on Sunday evenings from 1 May to 25 August, by reservation. It includes grilled dishes, chicken roasted over a wood fire and other pork dishes to share. The offer is seasonal and requires a reservation. If you plan to enjoy this meal, note the specified dates and book in advance.

Walks and dated tour examples

The guided walk “À la découverte de Bermicourt” took place on 14 August 2024. It crossed one of the Ternois’s many plateaus and included a stop at La Cour de Rémi. The route was 8 km long, took 2.5 hours and had 50 m of positive elevation gain. It started from the church car park and cost 4 euros. This is a dated example: the distance, duration and elevation gain describe this particular walk, not other routes.

Cycl’Abeille also started in Bermicourt in its 2023 edition: road cycling, mountain biking and walking routes began at La Cour de Rémi. That year’s programme offered road cycling routes of 45, 75, 90 and 110 km, mountain biking routes of 30 and 50 km, and walking routes of 6 and 13 km. In terms of distance, the 8 km walk in 2024 fell between the two walking routes in 2023; the figures relate to different dated programmes. This makes it possible to distinguish a single guided walk from a programme featuring several disciplines. For a future visit, check current event dates rather than planning on past editions as if they were available today.

Discover more destinations: Camiers, Beussent, Alembon, Verton, Audembert, Isbergues, Corbehem, Estréelles

For the wider travel guide: Pas-De-Calais.