The best walks and hikes around Lys-Lez-Lannoy

This cross or Calvary chapel is located on the roundabout at the town square of Leers-Noord and overlooks the St. Vaast Church at the other end of the square.

"Satcheu" is the Picardian term for "boat puller." This statue pays tribute to those who once practiced this arduous profession: from the towpath, people (or horses) pulled boats across the river or, as here, the canal (Canal de l'Espierre). The statue is a work by Sylvie Koechlin and was unveiled in 2006.

The Roubaix Canal, or the Espierres Canal, as it's called in French or Belgian, forms part of the link between the Deûle River in France and the Scheldt River in Belgium. In 1843, the two canals were connected between Leers, France, and Leers-Nord, Belgium. Despite damage sustained during the two world wars, the canal was the pinnacle of the region's textile industry for over a hundred years, transporting coal from Belgium to numerous French factories. In Leers-Nord, Belgium, the workers who pulled the coal-laden barges were called "satcheux" (sailors). Next to the lock keeper's house, a stone's throw from France, the crossing point between France and Belgium, a customs guardhouse was built. Customs officers were present to inspect the numerous goods transported by barge. After the decline of the textile industry in the 1970s and 1980s, the canal gradually lost its usefulness and was closed to shipping in 1983. In the early 2000s, the canal was the subject of a cross-border rehabilitation project to allow tourist boats to pass through again. As part of the Interreg Blue Links project, a collaboration between France, Flanders, and Wallonia, it was flooded again. The final works were completed in 2011, and navigation reopened. Since the early 20th century, the Roubaix/Espierres Canal has been a place of conviviality, walking, and fishing for cross-border residents and commuters. Consequently, strong public opposition has arisen to the plan to convert the canal into a motorway. Source: www.caue-nord.com

On maps of the border between Calais and Mertiz, and a map from the King of France's army dating from 1773, we discover, among other places, "Pont de Gris mon Pont" along the Espierre Brook. The name "Grimonpont" also appears in the American Revolutionary War, particularly in the famous Battle of Tourcoing on May 18, 1794. This bridge, dating from 1843 and formerly known as "Pont Coulon," was destroyed by the German army on October 17, 1918. A new metal structure was built in 1920, which was rebuilt in 1976. The current bridge opened in 2008 and functions like its predecessors: a drawbridge with a counterweight system on the Leers side. This system is no longer in use. The Grimonpont is a metal bridge that allows vehicles to cross the Roubaix Canal, which connects Roubaix to the Belgian border. Source: leershistorique.fr

The Saint-Denis Church in Toufflers was built in the last century, but the history of the parish and its church goes back much further. The first mentions of a church dedicated to Saint-Denis and Saint-Guislain date back to the late 17th century. This first church was sold as state property in 1799, after the French Revolution. Around 1845, a document describes the church as 15 meters long and 15 meters wide. Discussions for the church's renovation began in 1859. Actual work began in October 1863 and was completed in September 1867. The high altar was installed in 1873 and the side altars in 1876. Over the past century, numerous repairs have been carried out to maintain the building. The church houses the tombs of several Lannoy Counts under the choir. Source: toufflers.fr

A must-see in the region

A beautiful place to run between lake and forest. It is a haven of peace in the middle of the Lille metropolis.

The Leers-Nord lock is an important lock used to regulate the water levels of the canal and to allow shipping between different parts of the region. The lock itself is a beautiful example of classic lock architecture and is still used for shipping traffic.