39. By Folkstone, Boulogne and Amiens.
By Tidal Express Trains (see advertisements in the "Times"
"Bradshaw" from Charing Cross or London Bridge in 10—12 hrs., average
sea-passage 2 hrs.; fares 2 L. 11 s. 8 d. and 1 L. 18 s., return tickets valid
for one month 4 L. 7 s. and 3 L. 7 s. — Passengers with single tickets
may break their journey at the principal stations and spend 7 days
the route. Omnibus from the harbour at Boulogne to the railway station
gratis. Luggage registered from London or Folkstone to Paris is not
examined before arrival at Paris (station, Place Roubaix).
By Steamboat from London to Boulogne daily (see adver-
tisement in the "Times" or in "Bradshaw") and thence to Paris by railway
total 14—17 hrs. excl. of detention at Boulogne, where the trains do not
always correspond with the steamers; river-passage about 6 hrs., sea-
passage 3 hrs.; fares 25 s. and 18 s.; tickets available for 10 days. This
is the cheapest and in favourable weather the pleasantest route.
Boulogne-sur-Mer. (Hotels: *des Bains; *d'Angleterre; du
Nord, all in the Rue Napoleon and in the vicinity of the harbour. Oppo-
site to the steamboat-wharf: London and Folkstone Hôtel. Near
the baths: Hôtel de la Marine and Grand Hôtel du Pavillon, com-
manding a fine view. — Restaurants: Vermond and Café de France
d'Angleterre in the Rue Napoleon; Café Veyez, Grand'Rue 1. — Voitures
place: per drive 1 fr. 50 c., per hour 2 fr. for the first, 1 fr. 75 c. for the
following. — Diligence to Calais 3 times daily in 3½ hrs. — English Church
Service in the Haute-Ville, the Basse-Ville, the Rue Royale and the Rue
de la Lampe.)
Boulogne, termed "sur mer" to distinguish it from Boulogne-
sur-Seine near Paris, the Bononia (?) or Gesoriacum of the Ro-
mans, is an important sea-port town, situated on the Liane, with
a population of 36,265, of whom upwards of 2000 are English
The aspect of the town may be said to combine a certain amount
of English comfort with French taste. It possesses 120 educational
establishments, many of which enjoy a high reputation.
The Basse-Ville is situated on a slight eminence which rises
gradually from the river. A broad street (Rue de la Lampe
Rue St. Nicolas, Grand'Rue) leads from the Pont de l'Ecluse
the Haute-Ville. This line of streets is intersected by another
(Rue Napoléon, Rue Royale), from N.W. to S.E., the most ani-
mated portion of the town, where the principal shops are situated.
The *Museum (open to the public on Sundays, Thursdays
and Saturdays from 10 to 4 o'clock; at other times, fee 1 fr.),
situated in the Grand'Rue, merits a visit. 1st Room: curiosities
from China, India and the South Sea Islands; French coins a
medals, among the latter one bearing an inscription which will
provoke the smile of the English traveller: "Descente en Angle
terre, frappé à Londres", in reality "frappé" at Paris in 1804 for
the purpose of commemorating Napoleon's projected invasion of
England. — 2nd Room: Roman antiquities, ancient weapons and
armour, carving, coins etc. — 3rd Room: Celtic, Greek and
Egyptian antiquities, amongst the latter a mummy, pronounced
by the celebrated archæologist Champollion to be a finer specimen
than any of those contained in the Louvre. — A large hall
contains casts from well known sculptures. — The upper story
contains pictures, stuffed quadrupeds etc. — On the basement story,
to the left, models of naval and architectural objects, of the Colonne
Napoléon and the Tower of Caligula. — The
Library contains
30,000 vols., among which are some good specimens of early printing.
At the extremity of the Grand'Rue, to the left, is the Esplanade,
adorned with a colossal bust of Henry II. of France by
David, commemorating the restoration of the town to the French
by the English (1550).
The Haute-Ville, enclosed by lofty walls, is entered by the
Porte des Dunes, within which, to the left, the Hôtel de Ville
is situated, occupying the site of an ancient castle where in 1065
the crusader Godfrey de Bouillon, third son of the Count de
Boulogne, was born. The lower portion of the tower dates from
the 11th. cent., the upper portion from the year 1544.
The Cathedral, situated in the vicinity, a modern and still
unfinished building in the Italian style, occupies the site of a
Gothic church demolished in 1793. The perforated vaulting of
the cupola over the transept is peculiar. The principal point of
attraction in this edifice is the lofty dome, conspicuous from a
great distance and affording a most extensive *prospect, comprising
the downs, the elevated plain which the road to Calais
traverses, in the foreground the Colonne Napoléon, and in the
distance, in favourable weather, the white cliffs of the English
coast. The entrance to the staircase is by a door to the right
in the interior of the church (access gratuitous).
The Crypt, discovered in 1840 during the construction of the
church, is believed to date from the 8th or 9th cent. Entrance
(1 fr.) near the staircase to the dome.
The E. angle of the Haute-Ville is formed by the Chãteau,
in which Louis Napoleon was confined after the attempted insurrection
of 1840. It is now converted into barracks and an
artillery depôt. No. 3, Rue du Château, in the vicinity, is the
house in which Lesage, the author of Gil Blas, died (1747).
The Harbour, especially the W. portion near the Douane
and the steamboat-wharf, in the vicinity of some of the principal
hotels, presents a scene of the greatest animation.
At the extremity of the harbour is situated the Etablissement
de Bains, a spacious building, open from May to November,
but far inferior to that of Dieppe.
Towards evening the Pier (Jetée), which extends upwards of
500 yds. from the shore, forms a favourite promenade. The opposite
(W.) pier is 180 yds. longer. Both are provided with
light-houses.
The spacious, semi-circular Basin on the left bank of the
Liane was constructed by order of Napoleon I. to accommodate
the flotilla which was to convey his troops to England (see below).
The Fish-Market is held at an early hour in the morning on
the quay, near the Hôtel des Bains. The fishermen and their
families occupy a separate quarter of the town on the W. side
and constitute one tenth of the entire population. They are remarkable
for their adherence to the picturesque costume of their
ancestors, and in their character and usages differ materially from
the other inhabitants of the town. The women (Matelottes), as
is usually the case in communities of this description, exercise
unlimited sway on shore, whilst the sea is the undisputed domain
of their husbands.
Jésus Flagellé, a small chapel 1½ M. to the N. of the town,
a few hundred paces to the left of the Colonne Napoleon is a
place of pious resort, much frequented by the fishing population
as the greater number of the votive tablets indicate.
Boulogne possesses upwards of 250 fishing boats, which during
the herring fishery extend their voyages as far as the Scottish
coast and even to Iceland, and in favourable seasons realize a
sum of 60,000 L.
In 1804 Napoleon assembled an army of 172,000 infantry and
9000 cavalry on the table-land to the N. of Boulogne, under the
command of Soult, Ney, Davoust and Victor, and in the harbour
a flotilla consisting of 2413 craft of various dimensions, for the
purpose of invading England and establishing a republic there.
The troops were admirably drilled and only awaited the arrival of
the fleets from Antwerp, Brest, Cadiz and the harbours of the
Mediterranean, which had been formed several years previously
with this express object. Their union was prevented by the
English fleet under Sir Robert Calder, and the victory of Nelson
at Trafalgar (Oct. 22nd, 1805) completed the triumph of England
and the discomfiture of the entire undertaking.
The Colonne Napoléon, a pillar of marble of the Doric order,
160 ft. in height, situated 1½ M. from Boulogne on the road to
Calais, was founded in 1804, the first stone being laid by Marshal
Soult in the presence of the whole army. It was not, however,
completed until 1841. The summit is occupied by a statue of
the emperor, one of Bosio's finest works. The basement is adorned
with reliefs and emblems of war. The view from the
summit (custodian's fee 50 c.) is similar to that commanded by
the dome of the cathedral. Model in the museum (p. 204).
A Block of Marble, situated about ¾ M. nearer the coast,
commemorates the distribution of the decorations of the Legion
of Honour to the army in 1804. It was removed after the Restoration
but subsequently replaced. In the vicinity is the pilgrimage
chapel of Jésus Flagellé, mentioned above.
Nearer the town, on the chalk cliffs (falaises) above the bathing
establishment, are seen the scanty remnants of a Roman tower
(La Tour d'Ordre, perhaps from turris ardens), conjectured to
have been a light-house, erected by Caligula in the year 40, who
like Napoleon made an unsuccessful attempt to invade England
from this point. When this district was conquered by the English
in 1544, the tower was still standing and at a distance of
200 yds. from the cliffs. A century later it fell, and since that
period the sea has made such encroachments that the fragments
of the tower are new close to the verge. Model in the museum
(p. 204).
The railway-station at Boulogne is on the left bank of the
Liane, close to the bridge.
On quitting the station the train traverses the valley of the
Liane. The country soon becomes flat and uninteresting. Near
the station of Pont-de-Brique is situated a château in which Napoleon
frequently resided, and whence several of his imperial decrees
emanated. The following station is Neufchâtel.
The train now traverses sandy downs and crosses the Cauche
by a long bridge. Near the station of Etaples two lofty lighthouses
are conspicuous objects. Montreuil - Verton is one of the
places mentioned in Sterne's "Sentimental Journey". Near Noyelle,
situated in the midst of a dreary expanse of sand, the Somme
was crossed by Edward III. before the battle of Cressy. The
train now quits the sea-coast and proceeds inland, generally
following the course of the Somme.
Abbeville (Hôtel de l'Europe; Tête de Bœuf) is a manufacturing
town of ancient origin, with a population of 20,058. The
principal object of interest is the unfinished Church of St. Wolfram,
founded by Cardinal d'Amboise, the minister and favourite of
Louis XII., at the commencement of the 16th cent. The façade
with its three portals, a richly decorated specimen of florid Gothic,
merits examination.
The district now becomes more picturesque as the fertile
valley of the Somme is ascended. After passing several stations
of minor importance the train traverses three short tunnels and
stops at the station of
Amiens (Hôtel de France; Hôtel de Paris; Hôtel du Rhin
situated in a small garden near the station; Hôtel de l'Univers;
*Railway Restaurant), the ancient capital of Picardy, now of the
Department of the Somme, with a population of 58,780, is one
of the most considerable manufacturing towns in France. In 1802
the peace between France and England was here concluded.
The *Cathedral, one of the finest Gothic structures in Europe,
was erected in 1220—1288 by the architects Robert de Luzarche,
Thomas de Cormont and his son Renault. The lofty tower over
the transept, 350 ft. in height, was erected in 1529 to replace
a tower which had been destroyed by lightning two years previously.
The uncompleted towers of the W. façade belong (the
lower) to the 13th and the 15th centuries. The three lofty
Portals, with their retiring arches, are richly decorated with reliefs
and statues. The reliefs of the central portal represent the
Final Judgment, the statues the 12 Apostles. "Le beau dieu
d'Amiens" is an admirable figure of the Saviour which separates
the doors of this portal. Above the portal to the right is represented
the entombment of the Virgin, above that to the left the
history of St. Firmin, the apostle of Picardy.
The church possesses a nave and transept with two aisles.
The choir with its four aisles is flanked by a series of 7 lateral
chapels. The chapels in the other aisles were added at a period
subsequent to that of the original edifice. The magnificent rose-windows,
each upwards of 100 ft. in circumference, are filled
with stained glass. A visit to the triforium, which commands
a good survey of the church, may conveniently be combined with
a walk round the external gallery and the ascent of the tower.
(The sacristan lives to the left of the W. façade; fee 1 fr.)
The S. transept contains a high relief of the 16th cent., painted and
gilded, representing in four compartments the history of St. James the
Great. The N. transept contains similar reliefs, representing the expulsion
of the money-changers from the Temple. A species of stone vessel,
resembling a sarcophagus and probably dating from the 11th cent., is believed
to have been employed in ancient times as a font.
The N. wall of the choir is adorned with reliefs representing the history
of John the Baptist; those on the S. side illustrate the life of St. Firmin,
sculptured in 1480 and 1539.
Behind the high-altar is a monument to Canon Lucas, executed at the
commencement of the last century by Blasset. Between the statues of the
canon and the Virgin is a much admired weeping angel ("enfant pleureur").
The stalls of the choir are fine specimens of carving of the commencement
of the 16th cent. and deserve examination. At the entrance to the
choir are placed statues of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Carlo Borromeo.
With the exception of the cathedral Amiens possesses little
to arrest the traveller A colossal statue of Dufresne Ducange
(d. 1688), an eminent linguist and native of Amiens, is passed
on the way from the station to the town.
At Longueau (Rail. restaurant), the first station after Amiens,
the lines from Boulogne and Calais unite.
Near Boves are seen the ruins of an ancient castle in which
Henry IV. frequently resided with the beautiful Gabrielle d'Estrées.
A view is here obtained of the picturesque valley of the Noye.
Clermont, to the right, the next station of importance, is situated
on a grassy eminence, crowned with an ancient château,
now employed as a prison. The district here becomes extremely
picturesque and animated.
Liancourt. To the left of the line a handsome church of the
16th cent. By the desire of Henry IV. Gabrielle d'Estrées was
married to a certain Seigneur de Liancourt, a man of deformed
stature and deficient intellect, on condition that he should never
see her again after the ceremony.
As the train approaches Creil (*Refreshment-room) it skirts
the bank of the Oise. Extensive porcelain manufactory on an
island in the river.
Beauvais, 1 hr. by railway to the N. W. of Creil, possesses a magnificent,
though uncompleted, Gothic cathedral, remarkable for its noble
and lofty proportions.
The direct line to Paris is vià Chantilly and St. Denis. Montmarire
rises to the right as the city is approached. The
magnificent Station du Nord, erected in 1863, is adorned externally
with a number of statues emblematical of the principal
cities of Europe. — Conveyances see p. 1.
