Chicory mills and drying houses around the River Oye

Starting point: Town Hall Square (Oye-Plage).

(S/E) With your back to the town hall, turn right onto Avenue Paul-Machy towards Gravelines. Cross Rue du Hasard on the right-hand side.

(1) Turn right onto Rue des Provins.

(2) At the end, turn left and follow the River Oye.

(3) Turn right, cross the Pont Loquet and follow the D255.

(4) At the junction, turn left onto the D22.

(5) After about 250m, turn right onto Rue Barbery towards Saint-Omer-Capelle.

(6) At a three-way junction, turn left and, at the next three-way junction, turn right.

(7) At the junction, continue straight ahead and cross the bridge over the A16 motorway.

(8) Turn right onto the D229 and pass the town hall and the church of Saint-Omer-Capelle. Continue straight on to Vieille-Église.

(9) Turn right and immediately ignore a turn-off to the right and one to the left.

(10) At Nouvelle-Église, turn right onto the D219.

(11) At the roundabout, turn left onto the D229 and pass by the foot of the water tower.

(12) At Courgain d'Offekerque, turn left onto Rue de la Serpentine.

(13) Cross the D230 and go straight on.

(14) Turn right onto Rue du Houlet.

(15) At Pont de la Folie, cross the D229 and follow the Canal du Houlet.

(16) At Pont de Guemps, turn right towards the mill.

(17) At Pont Belva, turn left onto the D229 towards Guemps. Pass the church and the town hall.

(18) Turn left onto Rue du Sauve-en-Temps. Cross the A16 again.

(19) Pass the Moulin Blanc d'Offekerque and continue straight on. Cross the railway line at the level crossing.

(20) Immediately afterwards, at the Pont d'Arras, turn right and follow the River Oye.

(21) At the Offekerque bridge, turn left onto the D230.

(22) Cross the D940 and continue straight ahead on the Route de la Hocquerie.

(23) Head to the right and follow Rue des Petits Moulins.

(24) At the end, turn left onto Rue de la Mer.

(25) At the hamlet of Tap-Cul, turn right onto the D119.

(26) Immediately afterwards, turn left onto Route des Dunes.

(27) At a place called Les Huttes d'Oye, turn right and continue along Route des Dunes. Pass the Leaning Tower and the entrance to the Platier d'Oye Nature Reserve.

(28) Turn right onto Rue Charles-Paul Gesser and follow it to the hamlet of l'Étoile.

(29) Then turn right and follow the D119. Pass by the last artisanal chicory roaster.

(30) Turn left onto Rue Marcel Dalle and pass the Tamaris campsite.

(31) At the end, turn right and follow the D940 (Avenue Paul Machy).

(1) Continue straight on to the starting point (S/E).

More info at www.tourismeaudruicq-oyeplage.fr

(S) Saint-Médard Church in Oye-Plage
Saint-Médard Church dates from^{the 19th} century. The building is reminiscent of the English Tudor style, reflecting the British occupation in^{the 15th} century. A stained-glass window installed during the restoration commemorates Thomas Beckett’s visit to the town. You can also admire magnificent stained-glass windows by the artist Henri Lhotellier.

Chicory drying sheds
In^{the 20th} century, chicory cultivation, ideal for sandy soils, shaped life in this part of the Audruicq region. After harvesting, the chicory roots were pulled up using a ‘fork’ and transported to the nearest drying shed. There were nearly 60 drying houses in the area. Today, chicory cultivation and drying have been modernised but remain important elements of the local heritage and collective memory.
An old chicory drying house has been restored to its original state and is open to visitors every third Sunday of the month from April to October, from 10am to 12pm.

Guemps Bridge Mill
Overlooking the coastal plain, the Guemps mill is still in working order. Restored, it is recognisable by its rotating roof, overlooking the flat countryside. It bears witness to the intense agricultural activity and processing of produce in the drainage canal area during the^19th century.

Moulin Blanc d’Offekerque
This mill was first recorded as early as 1809. Thanks to the care of three generations of the Lianne family, the mill is still standing. In the past, the yellow bricks of this mill were covered with a white lime plaster, hence its name.

Leaning Tower
During the Second World War, the Germans built a church-shaped blockhouse to mislead Allied pilots. At the end of the war, the Germans attempted to destroy this blockhouse, but the explosive charge used was too weak and the tower was left in a strange position, hence its name: the Leaning Tower.