Izel-lès-Équerchin: the Escrebieux and places of remembrance

Izel-lès-Équerchin combines its ties to the landscape with a rich local culture of remembrance. Two war memorials, the Église Saint-Martin, and regular association activities give a stay here a variety of focal points. The Escrebieux and a route through fields are also among the ways you can explore the area.

The Escrebieux and the landscape

The Escrebieux rises in Izel-lès-Équerchin, passes through Quiéry-la-Motte, and flows into the Deûle after about ten kilometres across a largely agricultural plain. The stream links the town’s name to a longer watercourse running through the plain. The Tour du bois route offers another impression of the landscape: it passes through fields, where you may encounter wild hares, partridges, and pheasants.

War memorials and local remembrance

The first war memorial commemorates 32 local soldiers who died in the First World War, as well as three civilians killed in Izel-lès-Équerchin during bombardments before the Battle of Arras in April 1917. The Monument aux Défenseurs marks a different historical focus: it honours 52 soldiers from Nancy’s 269th Infantry Regiment and reinforcement units who fell in the Battle of Izel-lès-Équerchin on 2 October 1914.

The Monument aux Défenseurs includes the statue « Poilu mourant ». It was created by the Lille sculptor Jules Dechin and cast by the Antoine Durenne foundry. In the municipal cemetery, the Calvaire, the Monument aux Défenseurs, and a military burial plot together form a significant local place of remembrance. The individual memorials record different aspects of the area’s history, from the battles of 1914 to the civilian victims of the 1917 bombardments.

Saint Martin and the history of the town

The Église Saint-Martin was consecrated on 9 April 1928. This followed the Allied offensive of April 1917, during which almost the entire village was destroyed. The church’s motorised bells, Françoise and Marie-Bernadette, are still in use; the manually operated bell, Odile, is no longer used. If the bells’ operation is important to your plans, check their current status in advance.

The town’s older history is also tied to specific names. The Abbey of Saint-Vaast d’Arras held the seigneurial rights over Izel-lès-Équerchin from 1098 until the French Revolution. Some of the seigneurial jurisdiction was transferred to the Jesuit house in Béthune. Its coat of arms is included in the municipal arms, which were also augmented with a Croix de guerre in 1920. The coat of arms thus brings together different chapters of local history, while the memorials recall the events of the First World War.

Hiking, cycling, and events

Les Randonneurs Izellois organise two weekly hikes and one weekly cycling outing. They also offer weekly sports activities on Thursdays, including hiking, mountain biking, and cycling in Izel-lès-Équerchin and the surrounding area. The association covers several types of activity; check the specific weekly schedule before taking part.

The Randonnée de l’Escrebieux is an annual cycling, mountain biking, and hiking event. The 34th edition took place in 2026 on Sunday, 17 May. If you plan to attend a future edition, check its date. The Comité des fêtes et d'entraide organises cultural events and exhibitions in Izel-lès-Équerchin; for a particular visit, the current programme is also the best guide.

A 100-metre section of the Tour du bois route runs along a road. The rest of the route description takes you through fields, where you may also come across hares, partridges, and pheasants. This makes this specific route description different from the association’s regular activities: it mentions the landscape, a section along a road, and possible wildlife encounters, but no fixed event date. So if you are planning your stay around a hike, a cycling outing, or an event, check the relevant activity and its date.

Discover more destinations: Farbus, Fiefs, Hesdin, Wimille, Wismes, Herly, Wierre-au-Bois, Rodelinghem.

For the broader travel overview: Pas-De-Calais.