Place de la Cathédrale.
The following itinerary includes the defensive works of Saint-Crépin-en-Chaye and Le Mail, the first French and German lines from Pasly to Saint-Paul, and the bridge-head on the right bank of the Aisne, in front of the Faubourg Saint-Waast.
Starting from the Cathedral, follow the streets indicated by continuous lines in the direction of the arrows.
The numbers indicate the pages where the corresponding photographs will be found.
Follow the Rue de la Buerie to the Rue Saint-Christophe, which take to the left as far as the place Saint-Christophe. To the north of this square take the Boulevard Pasteur, follow its continuation (a narrow road) which leads direct to the Château de Saint-Crépin-en-Chaye (see outline map, p. [52]).
Numerous defensive works surrounded this chateau and the farm belonging to it. These buildings, now entirely in ruins, occupied the site of an abbey founded in the 12th century.
On the left: ruins of farm and bomb-proof shelter;
on the right: trench leading to the Château seen in the background through the trees.
THE MAIL BEFORE THE WAR.
After visiting Saint-Crépin, take the road (V.O. 15), along which ran strong defence-works and which leads to the Promenade du Mail. Follow the promenade towards the town as far as Pont-Neuf.
The Promenade du Mail, extending from the Hôtel-de-Ville to Vauxrot, contained a trench throughout its entire length which led to the front lines in the northern sector.
The Mail, bordered by the river Aisne and planted with century-old trees, dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, and before the War was one of the finest public gardens in France.
It was completely spoilt by formidable defence-works. A series of trenches, strengthened by defence-works of every kind and by strong points such as the Brasserie du Mail on the Bank of the Aisne, began in the middle of the Mail. They branched out at the end of the Promenade into a great number of outposts, blockhouses and observation posts, from which the naked eye could discern the entrenchments of the camouflaged German outposts on the right bank of the Aisne.
Communication with the Allies’ bridge-head on both banks was ensured by foot-bridges, constantly under fire, and temporary ways over the two partially destroyed bridges.
THE MAIL DURING THE WAR.
In the background: the band-stand near which General de Grandmaison was killed.
THE PONT-NEUF, BLOWN UP BY THE BRITISH.
Cross the Aisne at the Pont-Neuf.
The Pont-Neuf or Pont-du-Mail, over which passes the National Road (No 2) from Paris to Maubeuge, was built in 1903 of reinforced concrete.
On September 1, 1914, the British blew up the middle arch. It was subsequently found possible to contrive a crossing over the broken arch, hidden from the view of the enemy by the gaily coloured tents of a travelling show which happened to be in Soissons when war was declared (photo below).
THE PONT-NEUF CAMOUFLAGED.
THE DISTILLERY IN 1917.
The French First Line in the Distillery.
From the Pont-Neuf, take the Avenue de Laon to the Place de Laon, then take the Avenue de Vauxrot on the left to Vauxrot and Pasly. (See map, p. [53] and Itinerary, p. [52])
About half-a-mile from the Place de Laon are the ruins of a large distillery which formed the first French position and was strongly fortified.
THE DISTILLERY IN 1918.
THE GLASS-WORKS AT VAUXROT.
In the foreground: A German grave.
The German First Line in the Glass-Works.
On the north of the distillery, beyond “No man’s land” with its barbed-wire entanglements, a very important glass-works formed the first German line. Before the war, these glass-works turned out several millions of champagne bottles every year. A heap of these bottles is visible in the photo below.
Between the buildings of these works, now completely ruined by the incessant bombardments, are countless passages and trenches of reinforced concrete, observation posts, blockhouses, concrete machine-gun positions and deep dug-outs.
THE GLASS-WORKS OF VAUXROT.
In the background: Hill 136.
THE BANKS OF THE AISNE.
In the background: Chapel of the Glass-Works. To the left of the Chapel, a German Machine-Gun was posted, below a crane.
From Vauxrot to Pasly, the lines were separated by the Aisne. On both banks of the river were outposts and advanced trenches with machine-guns (photo below).
From Vauxrot, proceed to Pasly (see map, p. [53]).
From the church at Pasly there is an interesting walk to the caves seen in the photograph on p. [59] shutting in the horizon to the north of the village. Follow the road for nearly half-a-mile, then turn to the right into the road which goes up the side of the hill and skirts the caves. The latter were fortified by the Germans, and afterwards inhabited by the population of Pasly.
THE DAM AT VAUXROT.
A nest of Machine-Guns was posted near the pile.
PASLY.
On the horizon Hill containing caves.
A monument to the school-teachers shot by the Germans in 1870, was destroyed by the enemy in 1914 (photo below).
SCHOOL-TEACHERS’ MONUMENT DESTROYED BY THE GERMANS AT PASLY.
(see above)
The road leads back to the village. Return via Vauxrot to the Place de Laon, then follow on the left the Avenue de Laon to Saint-Paul.
The defence-works visited between Pasly, the glass-works and the distillery, extended from there in an almost straight and formidable entrenched line to the National Road from Paris to Maubeuge (N. 2).
ORGANIZED CAVE AT PASLY.
After crossing this road, about half-way between Soissons and Crouy, they encircle the hamlet of St-Paul on the north and east. This fortified hamlet formed the Saint-Paul salient and protected the faubourg of Saint-Waast.
ENTRANCE TO CAVE AT PASLY.
From Saint-Paul the trenches, sloping towards the south, extended in front of the strongly fortified Faubourg of Saint-Médard and rejoined the Aisne at the point where the river forms a great loop above Soissons. It was the eastern sector of the defences, covering alike the Faubourg of Saint-Waast and the bridge-head on the right bank.
To go from Saint-Paul to Saint-Médard, return to the Place de Laon. Take on the left the Boulevard de Laon, then the Boulevard de Metz which continues it, to the Place d’ Alsace-Lorraine. Take the Rue de Bouvines on the left to the Abbey of Saint-Médard.
The Faubourg of Saint-Médard is as old as the town itself. In fact, it existed in the Roman era, and later became one of the favorite residences of the Merovingian Kings, who owned a large “villa” there.
DESTROYED BRIDGE OVER THE AISNE.
This bridge connected Pasly with Soissons.
IN THE ST-PAUL SALIENT.
About 556, Clotaire I had the greatly revered Bishop of Noyon, Saint-Médard, buried in this villa, and erected over his grave a basilica, round which a monastery was built.
After playing an important part in the history of the early Middle-Ages, this monastery attracted 300 000 pilgrims as late as 1530. The buildings were devastated during the many sieges to which Soissons was subjected. Rebuilt in the 17th, they were converted in the 19th century into a school for deaf-mutes and the blind.
Of the ancient buildings, there remains only a crypt, one of the oldest in France and of great archæological interest.
Built in the 9th century and measuring about 80 feet in length, 8 feet in width and 13 feet in height, this crypt (photo below) includes a central gallery with groined vault, off which open chapels.
The vaulting rests on very thick walls, in which small niches have been hollowed out as seats for the pilgrims.
THE CRYPT OF ST-MÉDARD.
One of the oldest crypts in France.
CHURCH OF ST-WAAST IN 1917.
Return to the Place d’Alsace-Lorraine, take the Rue du Champ-Bouillant as far as the first street on the right (Rue Messire-P.-Leroy) which leads to the Church of Saint-Waast.
FAUBOURG ST-WAAST.
Defence-Works in the Rue des Graviers, near the Church (see Itinerary).
The church of Saint-Waast, built in the 19th century, consists of a large central pile with aisles on each side of the nave. A graceful belfry, ending in a spire, rises over the portal. The interior of the building is not vaulted, but has a timber-work roof. The arches are supported by square pillars and the walls ornamented with pictures.
The bombardments did great damage. Everywhere the roof was broken in and a large part completely destroyed. In the walls are numerous gaps, while the façade is pitted by shell-splinters. The belfry, very badly damaged on the first story, had two of its sides in the upper story completely demolished. The spire fell down in 1918. The interior of the main building suffered less, but the timber-work roof was badly damaged.
The Faubourg Saint-Waast led to the first lines of the north-east sector of Soissons, which passed north of the hamlet of Saint-Paul.
Because of its situation, it had been put in a complete state of defence and was continually bombarded. The railway station, gas-works and most of the factories were destroyed. In places, it is nothing more than a heap of ruins with, here and there, vestiges of the old military works.
Return to the Rue du Champ-Bouillant, follow same as far as the Aisne, crossing the latter at the Pont Saint-Waast.
THE PONT ST-WAAST OR PONT DES ANGLAIS.
In the background, the Pont-Neuf, Sept. 1914.
The pont Saint-Waast, also called the Pont des Anglais (since the war) dates from the Middle-Ages (photo above). Of the original structure there remain the arches on the Saint-Waast side (restored). The rest of the bridge consists of an iron platform which the Germans destroyed on September 13, 1914, when they evacuated the town.
Rebuilt by the British in 1914, together with a foot-bridge, it ensured communication between the centre of the town and the Faubourg Saint-Waast, in spite of incessant bombardments.
Return to the Cathedral by the Rue la Bannière, Rue de Montrevers, and Rue de l’Hôtel-Dieu.