History of the 'Pottenbrekers'
The spot name is said to have its origin in the banging of beer pots against each other in Vlamertinge. In the 15th century, the village was dotted with many pubs or inns. Every Sunday there was fun somewhere. Since the villagers could party rather exuberantly, many (beer) pots were broken, hence the Vlamertingse Pottebrekers. The rooms of our B&B are also named after important buildings from Vlamertinge.
Vlamertinge Castle
In 1857-1858 Viscount Piere-Gustave du Parc Locmaria had this impressive castle built amid the park on Hospital Street, close to the Kemmelbeek. The estate originally housed the country house of Jacques de Ghelcke, whose daughter married Viscount Charles du Parc, father of Piere-Gustave, in 1821. One of Belgium's most renowned architects, Antwerp native Jozef Schadde, designed the plans for the castle, of which the original furniture has been preserved. The castle and the former gardener's house are still owned by the du Parc family. During the First World War, the castle was regularly occupied by several armies and shelling by the Germans caused heavy damage to the roof, towers, and the rest of the building.
The Witn Meuln
This stone mill was built in 1801 with the stones from the destroyed Wintershove castle. As the outer walls were regularly covered with whitewash, the name of this robust mill was obvious. Besides grain, the millstones also ground flax and rapeseed to extract oil. Around 1870, the sails disappeared, and a steam engine provided propulsion from then on. A few years after this image, during the First World War, English ambulances would regularly take wounded soldiers to the field hospital set up at the bottom of the mill hull. In 1966, the now dilapidated mill was demolished and the steam mill's chimney also went down at that time.
Hommelast
This hop warehouse was built in 1868. At the end of the 19th, at the start of the 20th century, the ushers ("facteurs") started buying hops for the owners from farmers in the surrounding area. The hops purchased were dried, sulphured and baled here. A lot of these hops were exported to England. During the First World War, a large number of wounded soldiers, who came straight from the firing line, were also brought here to the hop warehouse for care. The hop trade came to an end in 1955.
The Stoasje
The first steam train passed through our village here on 20 March 1854, but the station was not built until 1922. The second track was built by the British in 1939 and dismantled in 1955. On 1 June 1984, the passenger train between Ypres and Poperinge stopped at Vlamertinge station for the last time.