Noordschote: Waterways and Commemorative Heritage

Visitors considering Noordschote as a place to stay can get to know it through two specific themes: its waterways and polders on the one hand, and its churches, chapels, and memorial sites on the other. The course of the Ieper-IJzer Canal helps put the landscape into context; the buildings and memorials point to the history of the village and the First World War.

Water Landscape and Routes

The Poesel polder area, also known as Poesel(e), lies east of Noordschote between the Ieper-IJzer Canal and the Martjevaart, on the border with Merkem. West of the canal lies Noordschotebroek, which adjoins the Reningse Broeken. The canal, also called the Ieperlee, forms Noordschote’s eastern boundary to the north, as far as Drie Grachten, and from there crosses Noordschote from north to south. Poesel and Noordschotebroek are therefore located on opposite sides of the same waterway.

The Poeselpad is fully signposted and runs through the Ieperlee valley. Its route includes Ketsedijk, Westpoeselstraat, Driegrachten, the Ieperlee, the Martjesvaart, and Oostpoeselstraat. A 556-metre stretch connects Oostpoeselstraat and Westpoeselstraat with Merkem. If conditions change, check the route markers on site. Drie Grachten is also an important road for orientation: it connects the villages of Merkem in Houthulst and Noordschote and continues from Merkem across the Ieper-IJzer Canal.

The Kapellenpad is 3.5 km long and takes about an hour. It passes seven chapels that refer to the region’s wartime history. The two routes therefore have different focuses: the Kapellenpad highlights chapels and history, while the Poeselpad focuses on the Ieperlee valley and its water landscape.

Churches, Chapels, and Remembrance

The parish church of Sint-Barnabas was rebuilt from 1921 to 1923 based on its pre-war design. Noordschote’s war memorial is incorporated into the brick cemetery wall and commemorates the military and civilian victims of Noordschote from the First World War. A plaque commemorating the unknown Zouave was unveiled in 1951 near the place where he sacrificed his life.

The Kapel ommegang Zeven Smarten van Maria is part of a series of roadside chapels dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The Driedelige Duitse militaire post is a German military structure from the First World War, located in Noordschote, in the territory of Lo-Reninge. The canal at Drie Grachten is also part of the village’s wartime history: during the First World War, the front line between German and Belgian troops ran here; the Belgian troops were supported by a French unit.

An Event in September

The Noordschote chapel procession takes place every year on the third Sunday in September through the streets of Noordschote. If you want to plan your trip around the procession, check the exact date for the year you plan to visit.

Discover more destinations: Pollinkhove.

Return to the main travel overview: Lo-Reninge.