The best walks and hikes around Willems

During the winter of 2024-2025, several renovations were carried out: the restrooms, pontoons, walkways, and wooden structures were replaced. New furniture (benches, picnic tables) was also installed.

The park is 12 hectares in size, so much more than the name (6 acres = approx. 6 hectares) suggests.

The current St. Martin's Church dates only from 1854 and was preceded by another, much smaller church on the same site. That first church belonged to the Knights Templar, who donated it to the parish after the Council of Vienne in 1530. In 1711, part of the ceiling collapsed during a mass, killing five people. Then, in 1800, a violent storm destroyed the already towering spire. Around 1849-1850, Abbot Pluchart, the parish priest, began construction of the current church with the help of architect Leroy, which was consecrated in 1854. Following the law introducing the separation of church and state in 1905, the building was inventoried and became state property. As elsewhere in France, the state entrusted the heritage to the municipality. In 1917, the local blacksmith, under orders from the "German Command," was called upon, along with three companions, to remove the two bells and hand them over to the Germans so they could be turned into German artillery pieces. In 1922, the bells, bearing the names Solange-Augustine and Martine, were returned. The church sustained little damage during the 1939-1945 war (bombings and storms), and a restoration followed immediately in 1947-1948 (a stained-glass window above the portico and some stone repairs). In 1949-1950, the municipality gave the building its current appearance by removing the very narrow staircase made of Soignies stone and the protective fencing from the garden. Finally, in November 1977, the collapse of several vaults in the choir prompted the municipality to investigate and renovate the entire nave, repair, reinforce, or replace several pointed arches, and completely repaint the interior. Source: www.willems.fr

The town hall of Saillez-lez-Lannoy once housed the girls' school. The first girls' school was founded in 1854 by the Sisters of the Childhood of Jesus. Until 1886, the school functioned very well and gained a certain reputation, but the academic inspectorate became increasingly strict regarding the secular nature of schools... which forced the municipal authorities to secularize this school in 1903. The school was located in part of the current town hall, with two classrooms: one for younger children and one for older children. Children began school at the age of five and often left at fourteen to go to work. In the older classroom, the students were divided into four groups, each under the responsibility of a single teacher. The headmistress lived in the house next to the school, which now houses the mayor's office. The schoolyard was fenced and shaded by lime trees. Source: musee-virtuel-de-sailly.fr/lecole-des-filles

The church was accessible when I visited. If you're not, you can take a virtual tour of the interior at: http://musee-virtuel-de-sailly.fr/galerie-visite-de-leglise-saint-pierre/

Saint Peter's Church in Sailly-lez-Lannoy was built at the end of the 18th century (the plans date back to 1788) to replace an earlier church from the 15th century (a baptismal font from 1535 stands at the entrance) that had been plundered by beggars in 1566. Thanks to extensive embellishment work between 1850 and 1900, the church now boasts a magnificent Way of the Cross (restored in 1930), the pulpit of truth, and stained-glass windows depicting the life of Saint Peter. Source: musee-virtuel-de-sailly.fr

The former town hall also served as a boys' school with one classroom. There was no girls' school until 1856. Source: saillylezlannoy.fr

The Church of St. John the Baptist in Forest-sur-Marque is a Neo-Romanesque building from the late 19th century (circa 1870). It replaced the dilapidated church from 1617.