Hames-Boucres combines a variety of landscape features with cultural sites and two comparable walking routes. To the east are former marshlands that have been converted into pasture and belong to the Flemish plain; to the west, the area reaches the first foothills of the Boulonnais hills. This gives you a practical choice when planning: you can start with the landscape, or use walking time and a named cultural site as your starting point. The routes differ in both length and stated walking time, as well as in the landmarks mentioned.
Landscape between the plain and the hills
The eastern areas are former marshlands, now converted into pasture; they belong to the Flemish plain and are generally known as the Planche Tournoire area. On the western side, Hames-Boucres reaches the first foothills of the Boulonnais hills. These two landscape features give the area a clear east-west orientation: Planche Tournoire represents the Flemish plain, while the Boulonnais marks the transition to hills in the west. This contrast makes a useful thread to follow, especially during a short stay. It offers you two distinct landscape landmarks to explore the area.
Church, chapel and architectural history
The Saint-Martin Church in Hames-Boucres was originally the church of Boucres. The Chapelle Sainte-Victoire offers a different historical point of reference: it was inaugurated on 28 September 1873. A timeline of its furnishings has been recorded. The chapel first received statues of Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Joseph; a statue of Joan of Arc was added in 1912, followed by a statue of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in 1920. The church and chapel therefore raise different historical questions: the original association of the Saint-Martin Church with Boucres, and the development of the chapel’s furnishings.
The Château du Baron Saint-Paul has a building history that dates back to the end of the 18th century. Construction began under the influence of Maximilien Thélu and was completed around 1800, after about ten years. The château was purchased and restored in 2003. The history of the church and chapel is thus joined by the construction period and later restoration of another building, each offering a distinct historical stop.
Choose between two walking routes by time and landmark
The two routes are easy to compare by length and stated walking time. The Sentier de la Leulingue is 7.5 km long and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes to walk. The La Planche Tournoire circular route is 16.5 km long and is listed as taking 4 hours. The difference between them is 9 km and 1 hour 30 minutes. Choose according to the walking time that fits your day and the landmark you want to visit: the La Planche Tournoire circular route passes the Chapelle Sainte-Victoire, while the Sentier de la Leulingue passes the Château de Hames. The routes therefore differ not only in the time they require, but also in the places mentioned along the way. The stated times can help you fit the walk into your day’s plans.
Public transport
Hames-Boucres is served by the free Imag’in public transport network, whose urban area network comprises 13 lines. Check the latest service information before your trip if you plan to use public transport. This will help you plan based on the information in effect at the time.
Discover more destinations: Calais, Wisques, Saint-Denœux, Colline-Beaumont, Souastre, Béthune, Beaurains, Étaples.
For the broader travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.
