Discover Le Déluge: church, crafts and circular route

Le Déluge lies at an altitude of 212 metres and is considered one of the highest points in the Oise département. For planning your trip, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, the region’s craft history and the Chemin de la Reine Blanche offer different points of interest. The church’s details can be traced to different centuries, while the circular route gives your plans a specific route to follow. If you’re looking for a hotel for a culturally focused stay, these themes can help guide your choice of destination.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste and its construction history

The church is built of flint and brick. Its nave, the central longitudinal space of the building, dates from the 16th century. The sacristy dates from the 19th century. These dates apply to different parts of the building and therefore do not indicate a single construction period for the entire church.

The furnishings also span different periods. The retable, or altarpiece, and its woodwork date from the 17th century. An inverted capital from the late 12th century was reused in the baptismal font; its origin is unknown. A capital usually forms the uppermost part of a column. Here, it is part of a baptismal font and thus a distinct element in the history of the church’s furnishings.

On the south side is the cemetery door, the Porte des Morts. During funerals, it allowed the deceased to be carried through. The church also contains a statue of Saint Hildevert, the patron saint of tablet-makers. In this way, a detail inside the church leads to the region’s craft history.

Mother-of-pearl crafts and tablet-making

In La Drenne and the surrounding villages, working with various materials was part of the region’s mother-of-pearl crafts and tablet-making tradition. These materials included mother-of-pearl, wood, horn, ivory, tortoiseshell and bone. The materials show that this craft tradition was not based on mother-of-pearl alone. Traditional products included toothbrushes, mother-of-pearl buttons, shoehorns and fans. These examples range from everyday items to accessories and give the region’s craft history a tangible form.

Saint Hildevert links this history to Saint-Jean-Baptiste: his statue is in the church, and he is considered the patron saint of tablet-makers. Those interested in mother-of-pearl crafts can therefore find a connection inside the church, alongside the materials and products traditionally associated with the region.

Chemin de la Reine Blanche and getting your bearings

The Chemin de la Reine Blanche passes through Le Déluge and forms an 8-kilometre circular route. This distance is given in a route description published in 2014. One set of directions to Le Déluge follows Rue du Faubourg, continues to the D46 and goes as far as Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church; the route then takes the first road on the right. Before setting out, check the current condition of the route and the local waymarking, as the route description is older and local routes may have changed.

A virtual tour of Saint-Jean-Baptiste is available. Check whether it is still being offered before using it. Laboissière-le-Déluge railway halt is also nearby. If you’re planning to travel by train, check which service is suitable for your travel date.

When choosing your destination, you can weigh up whether the church’s history, the regional craft tradition or the circular route is the deciding factor for you.

Discover more destinations: Fleurines, Neuville-Bosc, Janville, Francastel, Saint-Quentin-des-Prés, Creil, Raray, Romescamps.

See the broader travel overview: Oise.