Furnes (Veurne) is a small town of about 6,000 inhabitants. Of ancient
origin, it was the chief town of the "Veurne Ambacht" castellany, in
the Middle-Ages. By the Treaty of 1715, the Dutch were empowered to
place a garrison there, as a barrier against France.
During the War, Furnes became, after Antwerp and Ostend, the General
Head-Quarters of the Belgian Army for a few months (1914-1915), the
same being subsequently transferred to La Panne. More fortunate
than Dixmude and Nieuport, practically all its public buildings and
monuments escaped uninjured, although parts of the town were seriously
damaged by the bombardments.
On January 28, 1920, President Poincaré, in the presence of King
Albert, fastened the French _Croix de Guerre_ to the town's arms, with
the following citation:
_"During four trying years, in spite of incessant bombardments
by aeroplanes and long-range guns, always set a fine example of
unshakeable faith in the final Victory"._
_Tourists arrive by Rue du Nord which opens out into the Grand' Place_,
the ancient ornamental paving of which is very fine. Around the square
are grouped the principal buildings.
The _=Hôtel-de-Ville= is on the right_.
[Illustration: +Furnes. The Grand'Place.+]
Renaissance in style, it was erected in 1596-1612, from the plans of
Lieven Lukas. The façade has two gables, one of which was preceded by
a graceful _loggia_ which was removed during the war _(Photo, p. 40)_.
The high belfry dates from 1628. _On the ground-floor see:_ the Council
Chamber, with Spanish leather hangings: the College Chamber, with
Utrecht velvet hangings; the Marriage Hall, with a still-life painting
attributed to Snyders _(on the mantelpiece)_. The Great Hall on the
first floor, with Spanish leather hangings, contains several royal
portraits.
[Illustration: _Spanish Officers' Pavilion._ _Rue de l'Est. Meat
Market._ _St-Nicolas' Tower._
+The Grand'Place, Furnes.+]
_Near by is_ the =Palais-de-Justice=, formerly the ancient castellany,
built in 1612-1628 from the plans of Sylvain Boulin. Behind the
Palais-de-Justice is the =Belfry=. The interior, restored in 1894,
comprises several finely decorated rooms: the Waiting-Hall, the Justice
Chamber (17th century), and the old Inquisition Chamber _(on the first
floor)_. The Chapel contains some fine vaulting and a carved wooden
gallery. A number of bronze tablets recording judgments are kept there.
_A narrow street between the Palais-de-Justice and a block of old
houses with ruined gables, of which only mutilated fragments of the
façades remain, leads to the =Church of St. Walburge=._
Of very ancient origin, its reconstruction was begun in the 14th
century. The choir was completed in the 15th century. The nave is
14th century. The church contains magnificent stalls (early 17th
century), wood-work, doors, and pulpit, also a _Descent from the Cross_
attributed to Pourbus. In the sacristy there is a 15th century shrine.
The stalls, organ and altars were removed to a place of safety during
the war. Much of the stained-glass was destroyed.
[Illustration: _St. Nicolas' Tower._ _Spanish Guard House._
+The Grand'Place, Furnes.+]
_At the corner of the Grand' Place and the Rue de l'Est stands_ the
+Pavilion of the Spanish Officers+, built by the Spaniards in the 16th
century as a barracks. Restored at a later date, it now serves as the
Town Library and Archives _(Photos, pp. 39 and 41)_.
[Illustration: +Furnes. The loggia of the Hôtel-de-Ville.+
_(Sept. 4, 1917.)_]
_Opposite is_ the old =Meat Market=, now a theatre, with its fine early
17th century façade.
[Illustration: +Furnes. The Palais-de-Justice (Ancient Castellany).+
_On the left, the Hôtel-de-Ville whose "loggia" (photo above) was taken
down (1918)._]
_At the end of the square, facing the Rue du Nord, is_ the =Old Spanish
Guard House=, an arcaded building of early 17th century construction.
The lateral façade overlooks the Place du Marché-aux-Pommes, in which
stands +St. Nicolas' Church+. Begun in the 14th century, building
was continued in the 15th, and completed in the 16th centuries. The
church, which has a high, unfinished tower suffered little during the
war, although some of the stained-glass was broken.
[Illustration: +The door of the Spanish Officers' Pavilion+ (Sept. 4,
1917).
_In the background:_ _+The Palais-de-Justice+ and +Hôtel-de-Ville+
(photos, p. 40.)_
_In the foreground:_ _+Rue de l'Est+, by which tourists leave Furnes._]
Furnes possesses a number of curious old houses, the most noteworthy
of which are the _+Noble Rose Hostelry+, 11, Rue du Nord, near the
Grand'Place, and the +Pomme d'Or Hostelry+ in the Grand'Place_.
Victor Hugo lived in one of them in August 1837. The "Pomme d'Or" was
used as a residence by the Spanish Officers (16th-17th centuries).
Rebuilt in the 16th century, the "Noble Rose" was restored shortly
before the War; it is now partly destroyed.
Every year, since the 12th century, a famous penitential procession
took place at Furnes on the last Sunday in July, when the "Sodalité
Brotherhood" performed the "Passion Play" in Flemish.
From Furnes to Nieuport.
_Leave Furnes by the Rue de l'Est, and immediately after crossing the
canal, take the Nieuport road, on the left. At =Wulpen= (5 kms.),
cross the canal to go to +Oost-Dunkirk+ (2 kms.)_ Numerous shelters,
trenches, and wire entanglements are to be seen along the road.
[Illustration: +Oost-Dunkirk-Bains.+]
_After crossing the railway (l.c.) turn to the left into
=Oost-Dunkirk=._ Like Coxyde, Oost-Dunkirk comprises the town
proper--situated behind the dunes, on a road which, via Coxyde, linked
up Furnes with Nieuport--and the baths, 2 kms. further north, on the
coast. Both places served as billeting quarters for the French Marines
in 1915. The immense camps of wooden huts were occupied later by the
Zouaves.
[Illustration]
The town was practically destroyed by the bombardments; most of the
houses are in ruins, but the church is still standing.
_To visit the Baths (2 kms.) take the road on the right, beyond the
church,_ noticing the numerous shelters in the dunes. _Coming back from
the dike, take the first road on the left to =Nieuport-Bains= (4 kms.)_
The road crosses a region covered with defence-works, trenches and
wire entanglements, alternating with shelters and battery positions.
The battle zone began there. All vestiges of life and vegetation have
disappeared.
_Before reaching Nieuport-Bains_, a Franco-British cemetery _(photo
below) is seen on the left, and a little further on_, the ruins of the
church, with a cemetery in front.
=Nieuport-Bains=, a small watering-place situated 3 kms. from Nieuport
and 17 kms. from Ostend, was perhaps the prettiest of the Belgian
seaside places. There the dunes rise in places to a height of 100 feet.
As witness the trenches and _boyaux_ which run through the ruins of its
pretty villas and fine hotels, Nieuport-Bains stood in the front line.
[Illustration: +Cemetery at the entrance to Nieuport-Bains.+]
_At the end of the dike the road turns to the right in the direction of
=Nieuport-Ville=. From here the tourist crosses the dunes parallelly
to the sea._ Traversing the zone which formed the first line during
the stabilisation period, the mouth of the Yser, protected by two
wooden piers about three-quarters of a mile long and covered with
sacks of earth, is reached. The Grande Dune, which General de Mitry
attacked in January 1915, is on the right bank of the estuary, opposite
Nieuport-Bains. The polders of Lombartzyde are somewhat to the
south-west _(See p. 53)_.
[Illustration: +The Hotels on the sea-front at Nieuport-Bains.+]
Broken fragments of walls mark the site of the station on the dune.
In front are a derelict engine and train, which have been there since
1914. Near by is the entrance to the covered trench which connected
Nieuport-Ville with Nieuport-Bains; same may be visited.
_Return to the car and take the road to the left towards Nieuport-Ville
(photo below)._
_Proceed to Nieuport (3 kms.) by the road (very rough) running parallel
to the estuary of the Yser, past_ several shelters and artillery
positions. _After crossing the bridge over a small canal, the tourist
comes out on the wharves of Nieuport._ Once an important fishing port,
little remains today of its former prosperity. A few fishing boats
still give some little activity to the place.
[Illustration: +Road leading to the mouth of the Yser.+
_At the end of the dike, leave the car and go on foot, in the
direction of arrow A, along the path leading to the mouth of
the river (photos, p. 44). Return to the car and take the
road to the left (arrow B.) to Nieuport-Ville._]
[Illustration: +Wooden Pier at the mouth of the Yser.+]
[Illustration: _On the right:_
+View, looking towards the sea+.]
[Illustration: _On the left:_
+View looking towards Nieuport+.
_In the foreground:_ _Concrete Shelter and destroyed Wooden Pier._]
[Illustration: _Below:_ _French Trench along the Beach, to the left of
the river mouth. In the background: Nieuport Pier._]
[Illustration]