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Hondschoote

Noord-Meulen windmill - may date from 1127 - a witness to past battles.	Wealthy medieval cloth town In the Middle Ages, Hondeschoote was part of the Spanish Netherlands. A thriving wealthy cloth-town, it had thousands of small workshops making serge cloth from locally-grown linen flax. It was one of the largest towns in Flanders, and its wealth showed in public buildings like the fine big church.
A concert in front of one of the area’s famous altar-pieces Town Hall - built in1558 while the town prospered as part of Spanish Flanders	Harvest festival - a parade of working horses in front of the town's large 16th century church, which has been burned down 3 times. To mark the year 2000 Millennium, the town installed a new carillon with 60 bells in the church tower, one of the largest in FranceThey regularly play a choice from 140 tunes.
Using the marshes as defence But in the 16th century, when French armies attacked the Spanish army, battles raged over Hondschoote. The French burned and looted the town. The cloth-makers of Hondeschoote fled as refugees to what is now Belgium and to England, taking their skills to benefit France's rivals [see Huguenots]. Meanwhile the Spanish opened the sluice-gates to flood the whole area, in an attempt to defend their hold on Dunkerque - a tactic repeated in other wars, including the First World War. Back to top

(Above) 1st World War plan of area flooded to defend Dunkerque - the vital stronghold at the North Sea end of the Allies line of defensive trenches. [See 1st World War]	The Moeres were flooded again in 1917 during the German offensive following collapse of Russia.
	The Moeres today. The rings of drainage ditches remain, but they are now drained by motor-driven pumps rather than windmills.
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Defending the French Revolution

Defending the new French republic from invasion in 1793.

The battle of Hondschoote in 1793 was a key event in saving the French Republic after the Revolution. Most of Europe's kings and emperors feared the idea of the common people siezing power, and rushed to invade France and crush the ideas of "Liberty, brotherhood, equality" before the revolution could spread to their countries. The English king sent an army via Flanders to capture Dunkerque as key invasion port. They were joined by troops from Hanover and Austrians from neighbouring Austrian Flanders. The foreign invaders were beaten by a French volunteer army in a fierce patriotic battle near Hondeschoote, where the windmill was a look-out post and first-aid station.

Weblinks and more information	Local area map: Click on places for more information Link to the Tourist Board website for: Accommodation: hotels, B&Bs, gites, campsites Discovery: list of places to visit Diary of events Rambles in the area - maps & notes Click for TOURIST BOARD information at www.crt-nord.fr/an/villes [in English]
Places to visit 'T Kasteelhof Estaminet - traditional Flemish bar Cassel Windmill - see it working! Brasserie Thiriez - small artisinal brewery near Wormhout Bommelaers Wall Ecomusée - country life museum near Ghyvelde
Background Information: History of Flanders - the 16th century wars Medieval cloth industry Huguenots - French protestants Flemish dialect and customs Beer - North France's favourite drink Horses - heavy working breeds and horse-riding Retables -the story of the region's altar pieces French Revolution and the Battle of Hondschoote
	Why not try this feature? QUICK TOUR round Flanders Côte d'Opale, starting with Dunkerque Port Museum...

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