YPRES. THE CLOTH HALL, NIEUWERK AND CATHEDRAL (in the background)
The 13th—14th Hall had a magnificent façade, surmounted by a high bell-tower
(photo, Antony, Ypres).
The upper portion of the walls was decorated with an ornamental frieze and a battlement bordered with fine moulding. The frieze was composed of a tricusped arcade with small columns carried on corbels with carved heads.
Behind the battlements ran a sentry-way, while at the ends of the façade turrets decorated with arcades and surmounted by octagonal spires, served as watch-towers.
THE WINDOWS OF THE FIRST STORY OF THE CLOTH HALL
Every alternate window was blind, and was ornamented with statues of the Counts of Flanders or other notable persons of the city (photo, Antony, Ypres).
The Belfry rose from the centre of the buildings, of which it was the oldest part, the foundation-stone having been laid by Baudoin IX., Count of Flanders, in 1201. Square in plan, it consisted of three stories. Its exterior, like that of the façade, was decorated with arches, and was lighted with windows ornamented with trefoils. It had two rows of battlements, four corner-turrets, and a timber-work roof surmounted by a campanile, above which rose a small spire. At the base of this campanile there were four copper eagles, dating from 1330. At the foot of the belfry a door, flanked by two pilasters, led to the inner court of the Hall. Over this door was a modern statue of Nôtre-Dame-de-Tuine, with the Lion of Flanders above.
The belfry served all the purposes of a Hôtel-de-Ville (previous to the 14th century there were no Hôtels-de-Ville properly so-called). It was there that the representatives of the guilds held their meetings, and that the charters of the guilds were kept in great coffers with manifold locks. There, also, the archives of the town were stored. The bottom storey was used as a prison. From the summit, unceasing watch was kept, to warn the citizens of danger, especially that of fire.
YPRES. ALL THAT REMAINS OF THE FAÇADE OF THE CLOTH HALL