Lebiez is located in the Créquoise Valley. Its cultural highlights range from the Church of Saint-Vaast and two chapels to a school from the French Third Republic and traditional farms with cob timber framing or cob infill. The “La Vallée de la Créquoise” circular cycle route also passes through Lebiez. This gives you several distinct themes to explore as you plan your trip: architectural history, local traditions, rural architecture or a cycling circuit.
Church of Saint-Vaast: Gothic architectural features
The Church of Saint-Vaast was built of stone between 1537 and 1550 in the Flamboyant Gothic style. Its rib-vaulted choir dates from the 15th century. These details can be considered separately: the construction period places the church in time, Flamboyant Gothic describes its style, and the rib vault describes the form of the choir. Saint-Vaast is therefore characterised by more than just a date. Anyone interested in architecture will find both a named style and a specific architectural feature and material here. The construction period and the dating of the choir provide distinct historical reference points within the same building.
Chapels with different traditions
A local story is central to the Chapel of Saint-Hubert. The Decroix family, tenant farmers in Lebiez, built it in 1666. It is said to have been built after the miraculous healing of a child who had been bitten by a rabid dog at this spot; the healing is attributed to the intercession of Saint Hubert. The Chapel of Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs recalls the difficulties Louis XIII and Anne of Austria faced in conceiving an heir to the throne. The two chapels therefore have different themes: Saint-Hubert is associated with a local healing story, while Notre-Dame is linked to the dynastic question of an heir to the throne. Together, they broaden the focus from architectural styles to the stories associated with the chapels.
School and rural architecture
The school from the French Third Republic is one of the village’s places of interest. Traditional farms with cob timber framing or cob infill are also part of Lebiez’s architectural heritage. The cultural range thus extends beyond churches and chapels: alongside religious architecture are a school and rural building traditions. Anyone with a particular interest in buildings can compare Saint-Vaast, with its stone and stylistic features, with the farms and their earth-building techniques. These different building types and materials reveal different aspects of local architecture.
How to plan the cycle route
The “La Vallée de la Créquoise” circular cycle route is 28.5 kilometres long, starts and ends in Fressin, and passes through Lebiez. This distinction is important when planning: Lebiez is on the route, while Fressin is its starting and finishing point. The route’s length gives you a clear idea of its scope; the endpoints help distinguish Lebiez as a place the route passes through from Fressin as its starting and finishing point. If you would like to include a cycling route in your travel plans, these details provide useful reference points, but they do not indicate how long the ride will take.
Horse-drawn carriage rides and an interactive trail
Horse-drawn carriage rides depart from Lebiez and are available all year round by reservation. Making a reservation is therefore an important planning step for this activity. Lebiez also offers an interactive trail for discovering the local heritage. The free companion booklets are aimed at children and families; departures from Lebiez are available all year round by reservation. Alongside the buildings and cycle route, you can therefore choose from other activities with different focuses: a horse-drawn carriage ride or discovering local heritage through the trail and its companion booklets.
Discover more destinations: Béthune, Aubrometz, Labroye, Inxent, Isques, La Couture, Blingel, Coulomby
For the regional travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.
