Chapter IV: Part 4

The =chapter-house= of the abbey, which served as a refectory, was rebuilt about the end of the 12th century. With its pointed arches, it belonged to the early period of Gothic architecture. The most remarkable portion was the vestibule facing the cloister. The decoration of the lateral arcades of the vestibule included Roman capitals, nearly all of which are intact (_photo below_), and which are of great value from the standpoint of the history of art and costumes. In the refectory were the _Godard_ tables made out of a single branch of a gigantic oak-tree from the forest of St. Basle. They were given to the old _Hotel-Dieu_ by Canon Godard, whose name is incrusted in lead in the wood, as a rebus: _Go_, followed by the figure of a dart (French: _dard_).

Near the chapter-house, a round-arched chamber was all that remained of the early portion of the abbey.

_After visiting the Hotel-Dieu, follow the Rue Simon, which skirts the Ecole de Medecine, then turn to the right into the Rue St. Remi. At the end of same, take the Rue Gambetta on the left, and follow it as far as the_ =Hopital General= _on the right._

=The Hopital General=

This is the old Order-House of the Jesuits, built at the beginning of the 17th century. The =refectory= is ornamented with rich woodwork and paintings, by the Rheims artist Helart. Of greater interest is the _library_, situated under the gables, and which is reached by a fine staircase. The room is adorned with a profusion of wood-carvings and mouldings. Exceedingly fine consoles carry the ceiling, whose carved panels are profusely ornamented with crowns, polygons, florets and heads of angels. The oaken pilasters which separate the bookshelves are decorated with a variety of leaves and flowers. In spite of this wealth of ornament, the general effect is harmonious. The recesses in the woodwork, opposite the dummy dormer-windows, were for reading.

Ancient vines cover the walls of the chapel, near the entrance to the _hopital_.

_At the side of the Hopital General stands the_ =Church of St. Maurice=.

This church was entirely rebuilt by the Jesuits after the destruction of the ancient edifice, which was one of the oldest in Rheims. Here may be seen the _Eagle Reading-Desk_, a fine piece of 17th century wood-carving; two _Louis XIV. portable iron desks_ and the _paschal chandelier_ of carved wood; the _17th century confessionals_ of the lateral chapels, and in the sacristy remarkable _Louis XIII., hand-embroidered guipures_ of open-work designs, after the style of the models by the Rheims artist, Georges Baussonnet.

_Return to the Place du Parvis, in front of the Cathedral, via the Rue Gambetta and its continuation, the Rue Chanzy._

A VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELDS AROUND RHEIMS

A thorough visit can be made in two days.

The Itinerary for each day is divided into two parts, to allow tourists to return to Rheims for lunch.

=First Day= { Morning pp. 122-133.
{ Afternoon pp. 134-159.

=Second Day= { Morning pp. 160-165.
{ Afternoon pp. 166-174.

FIRST DAY

MORNING

=THE MOUNTAIN OF RHEIMS=

(_See the complete Itineraries on p. 121, and the summary of the war operations on p. 131._)

This part of the Itinerary will take the tourist to the most important points of the last German offensive of 1918, which aimed at the capture of Rheims.

_Starting from the Place du Parvis Notre-Dame, take the Rue Libergier, opposite the Cathedral, turn to the right into the Rue Chanzy, follow same as far as the Rue de Vesle, take the latter on the left, and follow it to the end._

_After the_ =Porte de Paris= _(see p. 68) the Rue de Vesle becomes the Avenue de Paris. Take same, but after passing under the railway bridge, turn to the left into the Avenue d'Epernay (R. N. 51, see plan, p. 121)._

_Take the second street on the right (Rue de Bezannes), which passes in front of the_ =Western Cemetery=, devastated by the bombardments.

The road crosses numerous lines of trenches and boyaux, which defended the immediate approaches to Rheims.

_Before reaching Bezannes village, leave on the right, two roads which skirt a large estate enclosed with railings, go straight on to the ruined railway-station of Bezannes, then turn to the right._

=Bezannes=

(_See Itinerary, p. 122._)

_Cross the first group of half-ruined houses, then, on reaching a second group, which forms the main part of the village, turn to the left into the first street encountered, where the_ partially destroyed church _stands_.

The round-vaulted apse, tower, nave and aisles all belong to the Romanesque period. The Gothic doorway is 13th, and the spire of the belfry 15th century.

The square tower greatly resembles the old belfry on the doorway of St. Remi Church in Rheims, and, like the latter, dates apparently from the middle of the 11th century.

The Gothic doorway of the west front is set up against a Romanesque wall. The gable has been rebuilt in modern times. Vestiges of an ancient portal are to be found on each side of the doorway. The key-stones of the arch above the tympanum, like those of the upper arching, are numbered in Roman figures, a peculiarity rarely to be found.

Facing the doorway of the church, on the left of the great entrance-door to a court, is a niche containing a 16th century stone =statue= representing a bishop wearing a chasuble.

In the court of the same house, over the door of the main structure, on the right, in an arched Renaissance niche, hollowed out and ornamented with marble incrustations, is the =statue= of a canon with folded hands kneeling at the foot of a crucifixion.

A shell-splinter took off the head of the bishop's statue, but the other group is intact.

Those interested in things pre-historic, may visit the =Pistat Collection= at Bezannes, which contains a great number of interesting specimens belonging to the stone and neolithic ages, and to the Gallic and Roman periods of the region.

Of the old castles of Bezannes, nothing of interest remains.

On September 11, 1914, during the Battle of the Marne, the German Staff took up their quarters in the house of M. Poullot. On the 12th, the battle attained the vicinity of the village.

_Skirt the church, and at the cross-roads at the end of the village, keep straight on, past the cemetery on the right._

_The road climbs a small hill lined with trenches, then descends to the village of_ =Les Mesneux=.

_At the entrance to this village (which is of no particular interest) turn to the right, and at the fork about fifty yards farther on, to the left, leaving the unmetalled road on the right._

_About half-a-mile from Les Mesneux and shortly before reaching the crossing with the road to Rheims (G. C. 6)_, there is a small wood at the place called =Le Champ Clairon=. It was from here that German batteries under Colonel von Roeder fired on Rheims on September 4, 1914, in spite of the protestations of the Mayor of Les Mesneux, who assured the German commander that the French troops had completely evacuated the town.

_At the crossing with G. C. 6, keep straight on to Ormes_, whose church, at the entrance to the village, was almost entirely destroyed.

=Ormes=

(_See Itinerary, p. 122._)

This village, in addition to numerous subterranean passages and chambers, possesses the interesting 12th century =Church St. Remi= (_photo below_).

Its circular apse with cornice resting on corbels is barrel-vaulted. Colonnettes in the great bays of the steeple (in ruins) carry carved 12th century capitals.

The pointed vaulting of the southern transept is 12th century, and the ogival groining rests on Norman capitals. The doorway of the western facade dates from the second half of the 12th century, and although its porch was destroyed in 1853 it is still remarkable.

It comprises three tierce-pointed arcades surmounted by a line of billet-moulding. The lateral arcades are blind, while the higher central arcading around the door is surmounted with three receding _tori_ resting on crocketed foliate capitals. The lateral arcades have similar capitals but only one _torus_.

Inside the church are interesting =16th century statues=: _St. Barbara_ in stone and _St. Catharine_, painted and decorated, face the altar; _St. Remi_ in stone, remarkable for its costume and decoration, stands above the altar of the northern chapel; a wooden _Virgin_ surmounts the inner doorway.

_Return by the same road to the crossing with the road to Rheims (G. C. 6), where, opposite the_ =Cafe du Joyeux Laboureur=, _turn to the right._

The road rises towards the Mountain of Rheims. Of the _camouflaging_ seen in above photograph, only traces remain.

_Shortly after, the tourist passes between the villages of_ =Jouy= _and_ =Pargny=, _whose houses border the road._ Jouy (_on the left_) and Pargny (_on the right_) were bombarded by the Germans in June, 1915.

The =Church of Jouy=, visible from the road to Rheims, was almost entirely destroyed.

_To visit the church of Pargny, turn to the right opposite the grocery stores, No. 262, then take the second street on the left_ (near a fine mansion partly in ruins).

_About 100 yards farther on is_ the church, the belfry of which was destroyed. _Return to the crossing with the main road to Rheims, where turn to the right._

The road continues to climb the northern slopes of the Mountain of Rheims. On a hill to the left, the =Chapel of St. Lie= dominates the surrounding plain. There is a very fine view of Rheims from here.

_The top of the rise is reached soon afterwards. Descend the southern slopes, passing between the sidings of an_ important material and ammunition depot situated on the reverse side of the mountain out of sight of the enemy's observation-posts. _On reaching the crossing half-way down the hill, leave on the left the two roads leading respectively to_ =Ville Dommange= _and_ =Courmas=.

_A short distance further on, after passing the road to Onrezy (on the left), take the following narrow road on the left_, which passes between clumps of trees that were cut to pieces by shell-fire.

_A little further on, on the right, is a_ cemetery containing the graves of some two hundred French, British and Italian soldiers.

_Turn to the right after the cemetery._ The road crosses a fine avenue bordered with shell-torn poplar trees, leading to the =Castle of Commetreuil= _on the left_. _The village of_ =Bouilly= is reached soon afterwards.

=Bouilly--St. Euphraise--Clairizet=

(_See pp. 131-132, and Itinerary, p. 122._)

Bouilly was burnt by the Germans on September 12, 1914, under the pretext that the inhabitants had caused the death of two _Uhlans_ killed the day before by French _Chasseurs_.

_Turn to the right opposite the Church of Bouilly._ There is a small cemetery on the right, just outside the village, containing several German graves.

_On reaching G.C. 6, leading to Rheims, turn to the right. Take the first road on the left_, which passes through a small devastated wood, where batteries of guns were posted. _Cross a small stream, and immediately afterwards the railway, then turn to the left into the village of_ =St. Euphraise=.

_Turn to the right in the village, opposite the church._ The road rises steeply to the hamlet of =Clairizet=, which was almost entirely destroyed. _Pass by a_ "Calvary," composed of four large trees surrounding a cross, _then turn to the left into a small narrow street_.

=Coulommes-la-Montagne--Vrigny=

(_See Itinerary, p. 122._)

_The road rises, then descends to_ =Coulommes-la-Montagne=. _Turn to the right at the entrance to the village._ The church, in ruins, is on the left.

_At the cross-roads just outside the village take G.C. 26 on the left. At first, the road dips rather abruptly, then rises to_ =Vrigny=.

The Church of Vrigny, entirely in ruins, is on the right at the entrance to the village. _Pass the Town Hall, leaving a public washing-place on the left, then turn to the right._

_On leaving the village, take G.C. 26 on the left to the village of_ =Gueux=.

=Gueux=

(_See pp. 131-132 and Itinerary, p. 122._)

Gueux is a small old-world village, with ancient houses, castle and church.

At the entrance to the village, a large square with trees, cut to pieces and devastated by the bombardment.

_From the square, go to the_ =Church= _on the right_, now a heap of ruins. Seen through the trees from the square it forms a pitiful sight.

In the chapel, on the left of the main entrance, there was a fine piece of Renaissance carving.

It was to Gueux that the Archbishop of Rheims, Mgr. Lucon, betook himself after the bombardments of April, 1917. The village cemetery contains many soldiers' graves. The Cardinal-Archbishop of Rheims presided at a pathetic ceremony held during the War in honour of the dead.

_To visit the_ =Castle=, _cross the square and take a small street on the left, which leads to the road to Rosnay (G.C. 27)_.

_Turn to the left, and fifty yards further on take on foot the narrow street on the left, which leads to the old castle._

This ancient castle, where the Kings of France, on their way to Rheims to be consecrated, used to dine, suffered severely from the bombardments. Outwardly it has, however, retained its general appearance (_photo above_).

_Return to the car, and go straight on to the fork in the roads to Rosnay and Premecy. Facing the fork is the entrance_ to the park and =modern Castle of Gueux=, belonging to the Roederer family, which was completely destroyed (_photo below_).

_Turn the car round at the above-mentioned fork and continue straight along G.C. 27._

_Beyond the village of Gueux_ the road crosses numerous lines of trenches. Many shelters and ammunition depots can still be seen along the road. _The National Road from Rheims to Soissons (N. 31) is reached soon afterwards. Near the cross-ways are the_ ruins of an inn.

_At this crossing, leave the National Road on the left and take the narrow road on the right which leads to_ =Thillois=.

=Thillois=

(_See Itinerary, p. 122._)

The =Church of Thillois= (late 12th century), now a heap of ruins, stood at the entrance to the village.

In 1914 it was still intact in all its vital parts. Its vaulting was pointed, with groining resting on columns, whose capitals were either Romanesque or Gothic. The nave had a timber roof.

The high-altar screen was a fine piece of sculptured stone-work of late 16th or early 17th century. In a niche above the altar, the Virgin, sitting on an X-shaped seat, was holding Jesus, clothed in a tunic and standing on her knee.

_Leaving the church behind on the right, turn to the left, to reach the National Road. On the right is a_ small 18th century castle, behind a clump of fine stately trees, known as the _Bosquet de Thillois_. It was destroyed by shells.

_Return to the National Road, turn to the right at the cross-roads, leaving on the left the road to Champigny, then return direct to Rheims, entering the city by the Avenue and Porte de Paris._

=The Mountain of Rheims Battles=

(_See p. 14 and p. 122._)

The fighting known as the _Battles of the Mountain of Rheims_ took place in 1918 over the whole of the area described above, _i.e._ from Bouilly to Thillois, _via_ St. Euphraise, Coulommes, Vrigny and Gueux (_see the Michelin Illustrated Guide: The Second Battle of the Marne_).

The Mountain of Rheims prolongs the region of Tardenois to the east. It is an important military position between the Vesle and the Marne, as it dominates the plain of Champagne. The higher part of it is finely wooded, while on the lower slopes and eastern and southern edges are the famous Champagne vineyards (_see Verzenay, pp. 171-172_).

During the year 1918 the Germans made tremendous efforts to carry this position, the loss of which would have meant the fall of Rheims, leaving Epernay and Chalons-sur-Marne unprotected.

Although held to the east of Mountain, they obtained important successes on the west, where they reached the Marne, while in May they occupied the Woods of Courton and Le Roi. In July they crossed the Marne and advanced as far as Montvoisin, on the road to Epernay. Very fierce fighting took place, especially to the north-west of the Mountain at =Bouilly=, =Bligny=, =St. Euphraise= and =Vrigny=. These positions, and Hill 240 to the west of Vrigny, were several times lost and recaptured by the Allied troops under General Berthelot, French, Italian and British, who fought there side by side.

Vrigny was taken by the Germans on May 30, but retaken by the Allies on June 1 at the point of the bayonet. The same evening, four German regiments, after progressing slightly in the direction of Hill 240, were first checked, then driven back after bitter hand-to-hand fighting.

On June 9, the Germans were repulsed around Vrigny, after having sustained severe losses. On the 23rd, they rushed Bligny Hill, held by Italian troops, reaching the summit, but were shortly afterwards driven back. On the 29th, they sustained a like check at the same place.

In July they advanced their lines slightly towards Marfaux, Pourcy and Cuchery, but were unable to hold the captured ground. On the 18th, the Italians advanced in the region of Bouilly. On the 19th, Franco-British troops progressed towards St. Euphraise. On the 21st, the Allies carried Bouilly and St. Euphraise. On the 24th and 25th, in spite of desperate repeated efforts, the Germans were unable to hold Hill 240 which they had temporarily captured. On August 1 further enemy efforts to carry the Bligny uplands failed.

The region of Gueux--Thillois--Champigny was terribly ravaged by the war.

On September 11th, 1914, the French 5th Division, under General Mangin, drove the enemy from these positions, which remained in the French lines until May 30, 1918. Occupied by the Germans on May 31, after fierce fighting, they were completely devastated by artillery fire. Retaken by the French, then lost again in July, Thillois was finally recaptured on August 2, at the same time as Gueux.

On August 4, after having reached the Vesle at several points east of Fismes, French troops engaged a vigorous battle between Muizon and Champigny, and some of them succeeded in crossing the river the same day.

=Champagne Wine=

Wine-growing has always been a favourite industry in this part of France. The vineyards extend over the Rheims hills and along the valley of the Marne. In the hilly country around Rheims there are two distinct growths of wine: the _Montagne_ proper, with its famous _Verzy_, _Verzenay_, _Mailly_, _Ludes_, _Rilly_ and _Villers_ "crus," and the _Petite Montagne_ with its secondary "crus" of the _Tardenois Valley_, _Hermonville Hills_, _St. Thierry_, _Nogent l'Abbesse_ and _Cernay-les-Reims_. The _Montagne_ produces more especially black grapes for white wines.

Champagne wines were famous as far back as the 16th and 17th centuries. Henri IV. had a marked preference for the wines of _Ay_. The magnitude of the cellars still to be seen in the 16th and 17th century houses testifies to the importance of a trade, whose main outlets were Paris, Flanders, Belgium and Germany.

The Champagne wines of that period were red, and rivals of the famous Burgundy wines.

The vogue of Champagne wines as understood to-day dates back to the end of the 17th century. It was Dom Perignon, cellarer of the Abbey of Hautevillers, near Epernay, who, if not actually the inventor of sparkling wines, first undertook to perfect them by blending the "crus" and preparing them with greater care.

In the last years of the reign of Louis XIV., and still more so under the Regency, the use of Champagne at Court gained ground, especially at the tables of the _Duc de Vendome_ and the _Marquis de Sillery_.

At that time Champagne was merely a "creamy" wine, _i.e._ semi-sparkling. The low breaking strain of the glass of those days would not have allowed of the higher pressure (six atmospheres) of the present-day wine. The discovery of the chemist Francois, who in 1836 at Chalons invented a special "densimeter," made it possible to calculate the amount of carbonic acid gas contained in the must, and to proportion the expansive force of the wine to the strength of the bottles, thus reducing losses by breakage, which for long had been very serious.

From the 19th century onwards, the production of Champagne wine has grown unceasingly. The number of bottles of sparkling Champagne placed on the market for sale in France and abroad rose from 19,145,481 (of which 16,705,719 went abroad) between April, 1875, and April, 1876, to 33,171,395 (of which 23,056,847 went abroad) between April, 1906 and April, 1907. During the first ten months of 1915, the exports of Champagne and sparkling wines were 630,140 wine-quarts, as against 1,092,660 wine quarts in 1914.

FIRST DAY

AFTERNOON

=ST. THIERRY HEIGHTS--LE GODAT--THE GLASS-WORKS OF LOIVRE--BRIMONT--THE "CAVALIERS DE COURCY"=

(_See complete Itineraries, p. 121, and summary of the military operations, pp. 147 and 154._)

_Starting from the Place du Parvis-Notre-Dame, follow the morning's Itinerary (p. 122) as far as the railway bridge, then continue straight along the Avenue de Paris (N. 31). Before leaving Rheims the tourist can, if desired, visit_ =Haubette Park=. _In this case, turn to the left, opposite No. 10, Avenue de Paris, into the Rue Flin des Oliviers. The entrance to_ Haubette Park (an annex of the Calmette Dispensary) _stands at the beginning of this street, on the right_.

Napoleon I. bivouacked in this park while his troops attacked Rheims in 1814. A monument and a small museum commemorate the event. At the end of 1914 Haubette Park was a favourite recreation ground and refuge for the inhabitants of the city during the bombardments.

_Return to the junction of N. 31 (which leads to Fismes) with G. C. 6 (the road to Ville-en-Tardenois). Take N. 31 on the right. About 1 km. from the fork take the first road on the right._

_On reaching_ =Tinqueux= _turn to the left at the entrance to the village, and follow the main road_.

=Tinqueux--Mont St. Pierre=

The church of Tinqueux (St. Peter's) was entirely destroyed. It contained, on the left side of the nave, a remarkable 16th century painting on wood, representing the _Adoration of the Shepherds_, with a frame of the same period.

_Near the church, between the Vesle and the main street of the village_, stood an old baronial mansion, in front of which was a building with turreted facade known as the =Maison de la Salle=. Inside the buildings which, in later years, served as a farm, there was a curious old wooden staircase with railed balustrade. The whole was destroyed by the shells.

In September, 1914, at the beginning of the bombardment of Rheims, many of the people took refuge at Tinqueux.

_At the end of the main street of the village, opposite a kind of observation-post with ladder in a tree, turn to the right. The road passes at the foot of_ =Mont St. Pierre=, whose village and church entirely disappeared in the 17th century. It was to replace the church of Mont St. Pierre that the church of St. Pierre de Tinqueux was built at the end of the 17th century.

_The road turns abruptly and nears the Vesle. Turn to the right and cross the river to reach_ =St. Brice=.

=St. Brice--Champigny--Merfy=

(_Itinerary, p. 134._)

_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village and take the first street on the right, which leads to the church._

The Church of St. Brice was almost entirely destroyed. In style, it is Romanesque, with Renaissance doorway and aisles. The door of the west front contains interesting carvings--unhappily much mutilated.

_Return by the same way to the cross-roads in front of the bridge over the Vesle, turn to the right, then, about 150 yards further on, to the left. Continue straight ahead, cross the railway (l.c.) and follow the railway on the left._

_About half a mile further on an avenue on the right leads to the_ =Chateau de la Malle=. Both the castle and grounds were badly damaged by the bombardment.

Standing in the park with magnificent avenues of beech-trees, the castle is one of the most ancient manors in the vicinity of Rheims. It was rebuilt in one storey at the beginning of the 14th century on the old foundations. The decoration of the interior (Louis XVI.) is interesting. The drawing-room has retained its old wainscoting and paintings. A carved shield bearing the arms of the Cauchon family, a member of which, the Bishop of Beauvais, sided with the English and the Duke of Burgundy against the Dauphin of France and Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War, is still to be seen over a door of one of the out-buildings.

_Return by the same road to the Vesle. Cross the river and follow it (as per Itinerary, p. 134), to the village of Champigny._

_Cross straight through the village by the main street, at the end of which stands the church in a narrow by-street near the entrance to a park (photo, p. 136)._

The little church of St. Theodule is 12th century, except the wooden belfry, which was modern. The belfry and roof were destroyed.

_On leaving the village, go straight ahead. The road (G.C. 75) follows the railway on the left. Cross the railway (l.c.). The road passes along the marshy valley of the Vesle, then rises towards the_ St. Thierry Heights.

_At the cross-roads of_ the hamlet of Maco, _keep straight on along G.C. 26_. The road runs between two fairly high embankments containing numerous shelters. Slightly before entering the village of =Merfy= is a cemetery containing graves of French, British and German soldiers.

_At the entrance to the same village, on the right, stands_ a castle, severely damaged, which, early in September, 1914, served as headquarters to General Foch (_photo above_).

_A little farther_ is the church, almost entirely destroyed.

_At the church, turn to the right and follow the main street_, which is lined with houses in ruins.

_On leaving Merfy, cross the railway (l.c.). The village of_ =St. Thierry= _is reached shortly afterwards._

=St. Thierry=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134, summary of the Military Operations, p. 147._)

This village was frequently bombarded by the Germans from 1914 to 1918. _It is crossed by a narrow, winding street containing several sharp turnings. Shortly before the end of the village, the street widens abruptly. About a hundred yards further on is the church, while on the right a monumental door gives access_ to the =Chateau of St. Thierry= (_photos, p. 138_).

This castle was built in 1777 by Mgr. de Talleyrand-Perigord, Archbishop of Rheims. It replaced the ancient abbey founded in the 6th century by St. Thierry, a disciple of St. Remi. Remains of the 12th century chapter-house ogives, colonnettes and capitals, as well as an old chimney-piece, have been rebuilt into the kitchens. The spacious Louis XVI. drawing-room and the dining-room were likewise remarkable.

The church (_see photos above and on p. 140_) possessed certain remarkable features, _e.g._ the porch, nave and organ-loft. The 12th century porch had a 17th century pent-house roof.

Inside the church were Gothic stalls, and a 16th century bas-relief depicting _The Martyrdom of St. Quentin_.

The church is now in ruins.

_Opposite the castle gate turn to the left into G.C. 26._

In the embankments along the road are numerous shelters, posts of commandment, ammunition depots, etc.

=Thil--Villers-Franqueux=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)

_On reaching Thil, turn to the left at the entrance to the village. Go straight through._

The church, entirely in ruins, _stands at the end of the village, on a small eminence to the right_.

_Half-way through the village, on the left, is a road which leads to the St. Thierry Fort, via the village of Pouillon._

The road from Thil to Cormicy was the starting-point of the communicating trenches which led to the first lines along the National Road No. =44= and along the canal from the Aisne to the Marne, during the long stabilisation period of the Berry-au-Bac--Rheims front. All along the road can still be seen, practically intact, the military works which were in the immediate rear of the front lines, viz., posts of commandment, depots, shelters, etc. At the present time, close to the destroyed villages, these shelters are being used by the people as habitations.

_Beyond Thil, the road passes between two embankments._ =Villers-Franqueux= _is soon reached_. The ruined village and church _are somewhat to the right_.

=Hermonville=

_Follow the rails, straight ahead, to_ Hermonville.

_Turn to the left, at the entrance to the village, into the large square, on the opposite side of which stands the_ =Town Hall=, partially destroyed. The =Church= _is on the right_.

This remarkable church is 12th century. The pointed vaulting of the nave was raised in 1870, but this had been provided for in the original plans. At the intersection of the transept the pointed vaulting is lower. The capitals with their finely carved palm-leaves appear to be rather more recent than those of the nave, and extend frieze-like round the pillars. The bays of the transept-arms and of the two square eastern chapels are round-arched and surmounted with a quatrefoil--an arrangement frequently met with in the vicinity of Rheims.

The outer porch, like that of Cauroy-les-Hermonville and St. Thierry, is a 12th century addition. The depressed arch of the entrance is 17th century.

The square tower at the corner of the nave and south transept has cubic capitals in the twin bays of the second storey.

The ancient =cemetery=, which used to surround the church, is bordered by old houses. Entrance was gained by a little gate facing the porch, in which are incrusted fragments of a 15th century altar-screen representing a horseman and a group of persons.

The village was frequently bombarded by the Germans after the Battle of the Marne. In 1916 several inhabitants were killed by shells.

_Leave the church on the right, and follow the Rue Sebastopol, at the end of which is an abrupt turning to the left. The road skirts a large house and garden surrounded by a wall. At the end of the latter, turn to the right into the Rue de Sommerville. On leaving the village, turn to the left, then go straight on to_ =Cauroy-les-Hermonville=.

=Cauroy-les-Hermonville=

_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village, then into the first street on the left, where stands the_ half-destroyed =Church of Notre-Dame=.

This Church (_historical monument_) has an original 12th century porch, which was mutilated by the bombardments.

Romanesque in style, it stands out from the remainder of the building and extends over the whole breadth of the west front. Its tile-covered roof rests on a timber-work frame, whose beams appear to be 16th century. Two round-arched openings in the ends of the porch serve as entrances. The front is pierced with a number of round arcades. The central door giving access to the church is of a later date (16th or 17th century). The capitals of the arcadings are 12th century. Their curious decoration represents figures of men, animals, birds, scrolls, etc.

The ruined tower and nave were likewise 12th century. The side-chapels, transept-crossing and choir were rebuilt in the 16th century.

In the interior of the church, the wooden altar-screen over the high-altar dated from 1616. The painting which decorated its central panel, and the side woodwork of the choir were removed in 1888. The altar-screen (1547) of the southern side-chapel was composed of an assemblage of stone statues representing _The Virgin carrying Jesus, St. Roch, a pilgrim_, and _St. Stephen, a deacon, with the donor kneeling at his feet_.

Under several of the houses in the village are subterranean passages, the most noteworthy being that under the old presbytery on the left of the church, to which access is gained by a stair of fifty-one steps.

_Leave the village of Cauroy by the street (photo, p. 145) which opens up opposite the church._

_The road passes through clumps of_ devastated trees. _On the left side of the road is_ a cemetery, containing numerous well-organised shelters. _The village of_ =Cormicy= _is next reached._

=Cormicy=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)

_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village. On either side are_ tree-lined boulevards, which were made on the ancient ramparts. The trees have been cut to pieces by the shells.

Cormicy was formerly a small fortified town with turret, gates, ramparts and moats, all of which have disappeared except one gate. The site was planted with trees, which surround practically the whole town. The town was destroyed in the time of Charles VI., during the Hundred Years' War.

The present village suffered severely during the German bombardments, most of the houses being damaged. In June, 1916, only eighty-three inhabitants remained in their homes.

The ancient =Church= was likewise badly damaged (_photos above and below_). While the tower, west front, and the two first bays of the nave are late 15th or early 16th century, the greater part of the nave is 11th or 12th century. The chevet and the transept-crossing are early 13th century, while the transept ends probably date from the middle of 12th century.

The portal comprises twin doors surmounted with a broad flamboyant recess. The doors have been partially mutilated. Above the window runs a balcony, the Gothic balustrade of which, known as the _Gloria Gallery_, was modern. This balustrade was destroyed by the bombardments, which also brought down the steeple.

The west front has two Gothic doors with 16th century iron-work, at the extremity of the aisles. The tympana of these doors, formerly lighted, have been bricked up. The lintels have three consoles ornamented with fantastic animals and banderoles. The three statues which carried the consoles have long since disappeared.

In the south transept, on the left, behind the altar, is an interesting small door surmounted with a square lintel of the 11th or 12th century. Two figures of winged monsters with heads of a man and a woman and fish tails, stand out in high relief, framed and separated by a belt, on which are carved _florets_ mingled with fantastic figures.

The three remarkable 18th century marble altars of the choir and transept chapels come from the Church of the Nuns of Longueau, the abbey of which, in the Rue du Jard at Rheims, was sold in 1790. The high-altar occupies nearly the whole of the chancel. Over the tomb, six columns of grey Dinant marble, crowned with Corinthian capitals, support an oval marble cornice with richly carved and gilt consoles of wood. The very large, white and gilt tabernacle is a fine example of 17th or 18th century woodwork. Its door, decorated with symbolic attributes, is surrounded by statuettes depicting, _in the lower part_, St. John the Evangelist and a holy woman wearing crowns; _above each of these figures_, an angel; _at the top_, The Resurrection of Christ.

The sixteen carved oak stalls of the choir, as well as the wrought-iron reading-desk on a marble pedestal, also came from the former Abbey of Longueau.

Near the choir, on a pillar of the nave, is an inscription to the effect that the chronicler _Flodoard_, who died in 966, was _Cure_ of Cormicy.

The modern =Town Hall=, built by the Rheims architect, Gosset the elder, which faced the church, was entirely destroyed.

All the places visited since leaving Merfy, _i.e._ St. Thierry, Thil, Villers-Franqueux, Hermonville and Cormicy, border the St. Thierry Heights. The latter are commanded by the fort of the same name and the Chenay Redoubt, with altitudes of about 670 and 620 feet respectively. They were recaptured from the Germans after the Battle of the Marne on September 11, 1914, by the French 3rd Corps.

After the loss of the Chemin-des-Dames and the Aisne Canal on May 27, 1918, this position, which with its guns commands the road and railway from Rheims to Soissons and the road from Rheims to Laon, remained the sole protection of Rheims to the north-west.

It was defended by the French 45th Infantry Division (General Naulin), composed of Algerian Sharp-shooters, Zouaves and African Light Infantry, who held their ground on May 27-28, after which they were reinforced by battalions of Singalese and Marines drawn from the sector east of Rheims.

The struggle was a fierce one, and hand-to-hand fighting frequent. Finally the constant inflow of German reserves forced back the French who, on May 29, had to abandon the position, to which the enemy afterwards clung for four months. On October 1 the Germans, beaten on the previous evening by the French 5th Army on the high ground between the Aisne and Rheims, was forced to retreat. The French regained possession of Merfy and St. Thierry, and advanced as far as the outskirts of the Fort of St. Thierry, which, with Thil and Villers-Franqueux, Hermonville, Courcy and Cormicy, fell into their hands in the course of the next few days (_see map above_).

=From Cormicy to Godat Farm=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)

_Pass straight through Cormicy, leaving the church on the left. Take G.C. 32 to the Rheims-Laon road (N. 44), where turn to the right. Rather less than a mile further on, near the_ Maison Blanche, _is a road leading to_ =Godat Farm=. _Cars can only go as far as the canal_, the destroyed bridge (_photo above_) not having yet been rebuilt. The lock-keeper's house _seen in the photograph below_ was completely destroyed.

_Cross the canal on foot to reach Godat Farm, situated about 300 yards further on._

=Le Godat=, formerly a small fief with a castle and chapel (destroyed during the Revolution in 1793), was merely a farm and a plain country house when the war broke out. By reason of its position, north of the Aisne Canal, this bridgehead was, throughout the war, one of the most fiercely disputed points in the sector north-west of Rheims, even during the period of trench-warfare. At the time of the French offensive of April, 1917, the 44th Infantry Regiment advanced beyond Le Godat, where the French held their ground until the powerful German push of May 27, 1918.

The farm is now a mere heap of ruins. Shelters still exist in the basements.

_Return to the National Road, and turn to the left._

_The road crosses_ numerous boyaux which provided access to the front-line trenches down the hill on the right.

_Follow the National Road to_ =Chauffour Farm= (in ruins), _where take the road on the left to_ =Loivre=.

_On nearing the canal_, the ruins of the village of Loivre (entirely destroyed) _become visible_.

=From Loivre to Brimont=

=Loivre.=--_Visit the village on foot. The canal can only be crossed near the lock south-east of the village._ The destroyed bridge has been replaced by a temporary footway across the bed of the canal, which necessitates climbing down and up the banks by steep paths.

_After crossing the canal the tourist passes by the_ ruins of the Loivre Glass-Works, founded in 1864 by the descendants of the noble house of Bigault de Grandrupt, glass manufacturers of Argonne.

Loivre and its glass-works were occupied in September, 1914, by the Germans, who deported the inhabitants to the Ardennes. The village and works were re-captured during the offensive of April 16, 1917, by the French 23rd and 133rd Infantry Regiments, surnamed _Les Braves_ and _Les Lions_ respectively. Whilst other battalions outflanked the village and crossed the canal, the third battalion of _Lions_ attacked it in front. The position, powerfully organised, was stoutly defended. The attacking troops were obliged to come to a halt in front of the cemetery (a veritable bastion with concrete casemates), and before the ruins of the mill, both of which bristled with machine-guns. Withdrawing slightly to allow of a barrage of 75's, they rushed forward again under the protection of the latter. The site of the mill and the cemetery were captured, together with numerous prisoners (122 were taken in one machine-gun shelter). The ruined village was next carried in a bayonet charge, to the sound of the bugles. The captures were considerable, one battalion of 500 men alone taking 825 prisoners.

In March and May, 1918, two violent attacks were made on Loivre by the Germans, but without success. They took it on May 27, only to be driven out on October 4.

_Before the war, a road_, which has since completely disappeared, _led direct from Loivre to Brimont. To reach the latter it is now necessary to go farther north, via Bermericourt and Orainville, returning southwards by the Neufchatel to Rheims road (see Itinerary, p. 134)._

=Bermericourt.=--This hamlet, of Gallo-Frankish origin, was formerly more populous. The bombardments have literally wiped it out.

_From Bermericourt the tourist reaches_ =Orainville= _by G.C. 30, which becomes I.C. 2 after crossing the boundary line between the "departments" of the Marne and the Ardennes. At the entrance to the ruined village, near the church, turn to the right into I.C. 12, which, 1 kilometre further on, joins the road from Neufchatel to Rheims (G.C. 9), where turn to the right._

_Follow this road for four and a half kilometres to the ruins of_ =Landau Farm=, _turn to the right, then, about 200 yards further on, take the road on the left to the_ village of Brimont, entirely destroyed.

=Brimont Fort and Chateau=

(_See Itinerary, p. 134, and summary of the Military Operations, p. 154._)

Situated to the west of the road from Rheims to Neufchatel (formerly a Roman causeway which crossed the hill at _Cran de Brimont_) Brimont was already important in Roman times. It was fortified in the Middle Ages, and traces of its ancient fortifications are still to be found on the hill. The discovery of a Roman tomb in 1790 caused considerable excitement in archaeological circles, as it was believed to be the burial-place of the Frankish Chief _Pharamond_ who, according to one chronicler, had been buried on a hillock near Rheims.

In 1339, during the siege of Rheims by the English, the Duke of Lancaster had his camp at Brimont.

On several occasions, since September, 1914, the Germans deported the inhabitants of Brimont and Coucy to the Ardennes. The village is now destroyed and its church a heap of ruins.

The church was built at the beginning of the 15th century.

The four last bays of the nave, which was partly Romanesque, were altered in the middle of the 16th century.

The sacristy occupied the lower storey of the square, pointed-arch tower.

Several ancient statues were placed at the entrance to the Choir: _St Remi_, with a woman in late 15th century dress kneeling at his feet; a _Virgin_ offering grapes to the Infant Jesus in her arms (late 15th century) and a large _Christ Crucified_, dated from the middle of the 16th century. A beautiful 18th century _lectern_ of carved wood, representing an eagle standing on a massive three-sided pedestal of red and white marble, stood in front of the Choir.

_To visit the_ =Fort of Brimont=, _skirt the church on the side of the portal staircase, then take the road seen on the photograph on p. 152. The Fort is about 400 yards further on._

=The Defences North of Rheims and the Fighting in that Sector=

The =Fort of Brimont=, completed by the =Battery of the Cran de Brimont= about a mile to the east, and on the west by the =Loivre Battery=, mentioned on page 151, sweeps the whole country north of Rheims as far as the banks of the Aisne, Suippe, Retourne and the Aisne-Marne canal, the Rheims-Neufchatel, Rheims-Vouziers, Rheims-Rethel and Rheims-Laon roads, and the Rheims-Laon and Rheims-Charleville railways. About five miles east of Brimont and four miles east of Rheims is the position of =Berru= (_see p. 165_), extending along a front of about six miles, _via_ the hills of Berru and Nogent l'Abbesse. Intended by those who planned it to guard the valley of the Suippe, the Rheims-Rethe and Rheims-Vouziers roads, as well as the Rheims-Charleville and Rheims-Chalons-sur-Marne railways, it comprises the =Fort of Witry= (about 150 feet in altitude), the batteries of =La Vigie de Berru= (870 feet), and the =fort and batteries of Nogent-l'Abbesse= (670 feet).

Brimont and Berru are further covered and linked up by the =Fort of Fresne= (360 feet), situated four miles north-east of Rheims.

These defensive works, conceived and executed after the war of 1870, had, in consequence of the evolution of strategical and tactical doctrines, been abandoned or disarmed before the war of 1914. After evacuating Rheims on September 12, 1914, the Germans grasped the importance of these works, to which they clung tenaciously, after hurriedly organising them. It was against these naturally strong positions, further strengthened by trenches, that the French 5th Army, in pursuit of the enemy, found themselves brought to a standstill on the evening of September 12. From September 13 to 18, the French tried in vain to capture them. The 5th Division, under General Mangin, did succeed in capturing the =Chateau de Brimont=, in the plain, but were unable to hold it.

Later, the Germans converted these hills into one of the most formidable positions organised by them in France. Brimont, Berru, Fresne and Nogent l'Abbesse, whose guns slowly destroyed Rheims, were, so to speak, her jailers for four years.

In April, 1917, during the French offensive of the Aisne, one division, known as the "Division of aces" (because its four regiments have the fourragere decoration), penetrated into Bermericourt and advanced to the outskirts of Brimont, but was unable to hold its ground against the furious counter-attacks of the Germans. It was only in October, 1918, that the French 5th Army, in conjunction with the victorious attacks of the 4th Army in Champagne, after forcing the Germans back to the Aisne and the canal, and after crossing the Aisne canal on October 4 in front of Loivre and near Bermericourt, forced the enemy, whose communications were now threatened, to abandon one of the most valuable portions of his 1914 positions. On October 5, the French re-entered Brimont and Nogent l'Abbesse, progressed beyond Bourgogne, Cernay-les-Rheims, Beine, Caurel and Pomacle, and, in spite of desperate enemy resistance, drove back the Germans to the Suippe.

_After visiting the fort return to the village of Brimont._

From here the =Chateau de Brimont= may be visited, but this will have to be done on foot as the road has been destroyed, traces only of it being left in places (_the lower photograph on p. 152 shows the beginning of the road in the village_).

The =Chateau de l'Ermitage=, also known as the Chateau de Brimont, _is situated about 500 yards south of the village, at the entrance to a_ large park, completely devastated. It was the scene of desperate fighting (_see p. 152_).

_Return to Brimont, cross the village (skirting the church) and continue straight on to the_ =Cran de Brimont Redoubt= _on the road to Rheims._ Numerous German trenches, etc., are to be seen here.

_Turn to the right into G.C. 9, which dips down to the_ Plain of Rheims. The region hereabouts bristle with barbed-wire entanglements and is crossed with numerous trenches. It was ranged to an incredible degree by the bombardments.

_At the bottom of the hill which starts at the Cran de Brimont, cross Soulains Wood, of which only_ a few torn tree-stumps remain.

_Several hundred yards after leaving the wood, take on foot the broken road to the_ "=Cavaliers de Courcy=," situated _on the right, about 500 yards further on._

=The "Cavaliers de Courcy"=

To the north of La Neuvillette, the Aisne-Marne Canal is flanked on both sides by enormous artificial embankments planted with fir-trees and known as the "=Cavaliers de Courcy=." After their retreat in September, 1914, the Germans entrenched themselves there and clung to the east bank until April, 1917.

On April 16, 1917, the French 410th Regiment of the Line attacked the enemy's formidable positions there. This Brittany regiment set out from positions to which they had given names taken from the history of their country (_Quimper Bastion_, _Auray_, _Redon Bastion_, etc.). On the first day they carried three successive lines of defences, and advanced about a mile. On the 17th and 18th they left their zone of action, to ensure the _liaison_ on their right, and to help a brigade in difficulties on their left. For eight days they held their positions against powerful enemy counter-attacks, after having progressed to a depth of two miles and captured more than 400 prisoners, 11 bomb-throwers, and an immense amount of stores.

These positions, like the neighbouring villages, were re-taken by the Germans in May and June, 1918, and finally by the Allies in October, 1918.

_Return to the road and follow it towards Rheims. Leave on the left_ the devastated =Aviation-ground of Champagne=--now in a state of complete upheaval, due to the terrific shelling it received--_then cross the_ =Plain of Betheny= (_photo, p. 157_).

The Plain of Betheny was the scene of two important historical events: in 1901 the Tsar Nicolas II. reviewed a part of the French Army there; in August, 1909, the Great Aviation Week was inaugurated there, in the presence of an immense crowd of spectators.

_Pass under the Rheims-Laon railway by a very sharp double turning._ =Pierquin Farm=, entirely destroyed, _stood on the right a short distance further on_. The only remaining trace is the torn shapeless carcass of a large iron shed.

The railway embankment south of Pierquin Farm was fiercely disputed from September 18, 1914, onwards. Several enemy attacks against it broke down before the French 75's. During the offensive of May, 1918, the whole of this region was the scene of desperate fighting. La Neuvillette was taken on May 30, and Pierquin Farm on the 31st. On August 4, the French, after crossing the Aisne Canal, advanced to La Neuvillette, where the enemy made a desperate stand. At the beginning of October they advanced to the north of La Neuvillette, which the enemy was eventually compelled to abandon. The last inhabitants had left the locality on July 12, 1916.

_The tourist enters Rheims by the Rue de Neufchatel and the Avenue de Laon._

=La Neuvillette=

_On reaching the Avenue de Laon, the tourist, instead of entering Rheims, may turn to the right and go northwards as far as the_ village and cemetery of La Neuvillette.

The cemetery of La Neuvillette _is on the right of the road, between the last houses of Rheims and the village_. It was completely cut up by a network of first-line trenches (_photos, p. 159_).

The village of La Neuvillette, now in ruins, was the scene of desperate fighting during the German offensive of May, 1918.

Nothing remains of the 12th century church of John-the-Baptist.

The glass-works north-west of the village, by the side of the canal, are now a heap of ruins (_photo, p. 159_).

_Return to Rheims by the same road._

SECOND DAY

MORNING

=FRESNES FORT--WITRY-LES-REIMS--BERRU--NOGENT L'ABBESSE--BEINE=

(_See complete Itineraries, p. 121, and map on p. 154._)

_This Itinerary will lead the tourist through the region of the_ Forts to the north-east of Rheims, which formed the rear of the German lines during the stabilisation period of 1914-1918.

It was this line of forts that, in the German hands, held the French in check after the first Battle of the Marne. Practically the whole of these works were but little damaged by the relatively light bombardments, and have retained traces of the German organisation.

_Leave Rheims by the Avenue de Laon_ (_which begins at_ Les Pomenades, _opposite Mars Gate_), _and the Rue de Neufchatel (second street on the right), Sortie No. IX. of the Michelin Tourist Guide (see coloured plan, pp. 32-33)._

_Follow in the contrary direction the route described in the preceding Itinerary (p. 134 to p. 159) as far as the crossing in the Bermericourt-Bourgogne road, where stood_ Landau Farm, now entirely in ruins. _At this crossing take G.C. 30 on the right._ German camouflaging is still visible on the right-hand side of the road.

=Bourgogne--Fresnes=

_The village of_ Bourgogne, entirely in ruins, _is soon reached_.

The village is of very ancient origin. Formerly it was protected by a belt of moats, now partly filled in, and by earthen ramparts, almost everywhere levelled. The lines of these moats, planted with rows of elm-trees, are clearly distinguishable. There is a very extensive view from this original site.

A portion of the village was burnt by the Germans who, in 1916, destroyed the belfry of the church with dynamite.

This church (dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul), with its fine Romanesque tower, was remarkable.

The greater part of it dated from the 12th and 13th centuries. It is now in ruins (_photo above_).

_Cross straight through the village._ Numerous German signs _are still to be seen. At the cross-roads just outside the village, follow the railway, then cross it near the destroyed railway station of Fresnes. The village of_ Fresnes _is reached shortly afterwards._

_Turn to the right at the first crossing met with._ The church _stands about 100 yards away, on the left._

Norman in style, the Church of Fresnes comprises a central nave with aisles and a tower without transept. It dates back to the 12th century, but was several times extensively altered and restored both in the 18th century and in recent times.

A small porch of limestone added to the northern aisle, is reached by a round Norman bay of stone. In the corner of the porch, to the left on entering, is incrusted a fragment of a small funerary monument of the 16th century.

This church was almost entirely destroyed.

_After turning to the right at the crossing mentioned above, keep straight on._