British cemetery No. 53 (photo, p. 56) lies at the entrance to the village. Go straight through the village (in ruins). On leaving it, Cemetery No. 54 is seen on the right, then beyond a large concrete shelter, Cemetery No. 55. Cemetery No. 56 is on the left, beyond the level-crossing.
CROSS-ROADS AT NÔTRE-DAME-DE-GRÂCE
The Messines Road (bordered with tree stumps) was not practicable for motors in June, 1919. Take the Neuve-Eglise Road on the left (see Itinerary, p. 47).
Cross Ploegsteert Wood, leaving the road to Petit-Pont Farm on the left. Here the road rises. To the left, on the slopes of Hill 63, are seen the ruins of La Hutte Château. On the crest opposite stand the ruins of Messines (photo above). In June, 1919, it was not possible to go direct to Messines, the road being cut at the Petite Douve stream.
AMONG THE RUINS OF MESSINES
The motor takes the left-hand road to Wytschaete (see p. 47).
Follow the road as far as the fork to the place called Nôtre-Dame-de-Grâce (the ruins of the chapel are barely distinguishable), then take the Neuve-Eglise road on the left. Stop the car at Rossignol terre-plein and walk a few yards into the little wood on the right; numerous concrete shelters, from the top of which there is a very fine view over the Hills Kemmel, Rouge, Noir and Cats. The last-named can be recognised by its abbey, which stands out against the sky.
Return to the car. The road now descends. Passing by a few ruined houses—all that remain of the hamlet of Haubourdin—a fork is reached, where take the Neuve-Eglise-Messines road on the right. British cemetery on the right. Cross the Douve river, then the railway (l. c.). Turn to the right at the first ruins of Wulverghem, then go through the village, passing in front of the cemetery. Next cross the Steenbeck, by the St. Quentin Bridge. The road now rises sharply to the crest on which Messines used to stand. Numerous small forts are seen to the right and left. These machine-gun nests are all that now mark the site of the village.
At the entrance to the village leave the car at the junction of the Ypres-Armentières and Neuve-Eglise-Warneton roads, and visit these pathetic ruins on foot.