The pink bell tower of Église Saint-Laurent, the Batterie de Prémesques and the “La campagne de Prémesques” walking route reveal three different sides of the town: church and military history, as well as a circular route that starts and ends at the church car park. There is also a war memorial bearing the coat of arms of the village’s former lords, and the giant figure Tartagrosbord. Bus routes within the municipality are also useful for getting around.

Church and Remembrance

Église Saint-Laurent was rebuilt after 1918 and inaugurated in 1928. Its pink bell tower is considered emblematic of Prémesques. The church continues to host religious ceremonies as well as gospel and choir concerts; individual programmes may vary. If you would like to plan your stay around a concert, check the relevant programme.

The Monument aux morts de Prémesques commemorates the local soldiers who fell in the First World War. It bears the coat of arms of the De Nouvelles family, the village’s former lords. The same monument thus brings together remembrance of the fallen and a symbol of the village’s former rulers.

Military History and Local Identity

The Batterie de Prémesques, formerly known as Fort Sénarmont, was built between 1878 and 1885. It is a war relic and part of a belt of fortifications. It was intended to defend the railway line and the national road from Lille to Dunkirk, as well as the cross-routes across the Armentières plain.

Prémesques was the scene of a decisive battle in October 1914, which fixed the front line east of Armentières for several years. In the fighting that same month, the 2nd Leinster Regiment suffered 434 casualties in three days and withdrew to its original positions in La Chapelle d’Armentières.

Tartagrosbord, a named giant figure popular with the children of Prémesques, is also part of the local cultural identity.

Walking and Getting Around

A route description created in 2019 and updated in May of that year gives “La campagne de Prémesques” a distance of 10.44 km, an easy difficulty level and an average duration of three hours. It describes a start at the church car park, a route past an oratory and along local roads, and a return to the starting point.

The same description mentions benches at the beginning and end, but none in the middle; it also describes the paths as not muddy, even in very wet weather. Practical trail conditions can vary by season; check them before setting out.

Transpole-KEOLIS routes 79 and 80 run through the municipality. Route 79 serves Wez-Macquart on the La Chapelle d’Armentières side; route 80 serves Prémesques – Le Centre and Prémesques – La Montagne. Timetables can change, especially in summer, so check the latest information before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Loon-Plage, Fourmies, Saint-Saulve, West-Cappel, Ohain, Bollezeele, Esquelbecq, Templeuve

For the broader travel overview: Nord.