Bourlon offers a clear focus for a trip that takes architectural history and places of remembrance into account: Saint-Martin, two chapels and the former water tower each provide a different perspective. Another activity is the “Autour de Bourlon” circular walking trail, which is rated easy. This lets you decide whether to focus your stay mainly on historic buildings, remembrance or a walk. You can choose individual themes according to your interests rather than treating them as a set itinerary.

Saint-Martin Church: Different Aspects of Architectural History

Saint-Martin Church in Bourlon was already in existence in 1148. It was built at its current location in 1747 and was also rebuilt on earlier foundations. These details bring together three different aspects: the church’s early existence, its construction at its current location and its reconstruction. This distinction is more useful for understanding its history than associating Saint-Martin with just one date.

Water Tower and Chapels: Construction and History

The former water tower offers a different perspective from the church. Its brick construction makes it an exception in Pas-de-Calais. At the same time, it is one of the very few buildings to have survived the fighting of 1917. This building therefore combines a regional architectural distinction with a specific connection to the history of the fighting. Anyone exploring Bourlon through its historic buildings will find a different perspective here than at the churches and chapels: the tower is defined by its materials and its survival through the fighting.

The Chapelle de Francqueville is a burial chapel near Bourlon’s first cemetery. Members of the de Francqueville family and Abbé Daquin rest in its crypt. Its burial function and the people laid to rest there are therefore central. The Chapelle de Sains offers a different perspective: it was inaugurated in 1927 and is a building in a simplified Neo-Gothic style. Neo-Gothic refers to architecture inspired by Gothic design; the qualifier “simplified” is part of the more precise description of the style. The two chapels thus differ both in the historical details given and in how they are described.

A Place of Remembrance in the Surrounding Area

In the wider area around Bourlon, the Bourlon Wood Canadian Memorial commemorates the attack across the Canal du Nord. It adds a distinct place of remembrance to the historical focus: while the church, chapels and water tower foreground architectural history and features, the memorial is about commemorating the attack. You can therefore decide whether to focus on buildings in Bourlon or on the memorial in the surrounding area.

A Walking Option for a Different Focus

The “Autour de Bourlon” circular walking trail complements the cultural and historical themes with a walking option. It is rated easy and starts at Bourlon town hall, where parking is available. This gives you two specific details to help plan your visit: the difficulty rating and the starting point with parking. You can consider the loop as a standalone activity if you would like to go for a walk as well as visit churches, chapels and places of remembrance. This offers a choice between different interests: local history through buildings and remembrance on the one hand, and an easy-rated trail on the other.

Discover more destinations: Reclinghem, Sangatte, Brias, Bourthes, Wisques, Lépine, Hesmond, Roussent

For the regional travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.