_After twice crossing the railway_ (_l. c._) the Customs Barracks are passed. The road passes over three more level-crossings, skirts the frontier, crosses the railway, and then the Stilbecque stream. _Next pass through_ =Nieppe= village--almost entirely demolished; _then over the railway_ (_l. c._). _Cross the Lys by the Nieppe Bridge and enter_ =Armentières=, _via the Rue de Nieppe_. _At the cross-roads take Rue Nationale on the right, and follow the tram-lines as far as the crossing of Rue de Lille with Rue de Marle. Take the latter to the right, and cross the railway_ (_l. c._). For particulars concerning Armentières, see pp. 49--55, first Itinerary. _Keep straight to_ =Bois-Grenier=, _turning to the right in front of the ruined church_. _Outside the village take the second road on the right to_ =Fleurbaix=. _Pass the church, of which a few walls are still standing_ (photo below), _then turn to the left beyond the Square into Rue de Quesnes_. Numerous concrete shelters were built inside the houses. _Near the British cemetery the road turns to the right, then to the left, and enters_ =Laventie=. _Turn to the right in the Place de l'Eglise, then to the left over a level-crossing near the station_. [Illustration: DESTROYED CHURCH OF FLEURBAIX] [Illustration: LAVENTIE CHURCH, RUINED BY THE BOMBARDMENTS] _After several turnings the road runs past a small ruined chapel, crosses a river, then turns to the right, and crosses the Lys. At the first houses of_ =Estaires=, _100 yards beyond the bridge, turn to the left, amid the ruins._ _Pass the ruined gasworks and follow the main street shown in the photo below._ In the middle ground of this photograph are seen the walls of the church, the steeple of which has fallen in. [Illustration: ALL THAT REMAINS OF THE MAIN STREET OF ESTAIRES] [Illustration: MERVILLE (_from old engraving_)] _Leave on the left the Square, in which formerly stood the Hôtel-de-Ville_; its ruined belfry is now a mere heap of bricks and stones. _Beyond a German cemetery on the right, pass through_ =Neuf-Berquin=, _after which, on turning to the left_, =Merville= comes into view. [Illustration: MERVILLE CHURCH, AS THE GERMAN SHELLS LEFT IT _Seen from the Rue des Trois Prêtres._] [Illustration: RUINS OF LESTREM CHURCH] At the entrance is the cemetery, the area of which has been doubled by serried rows of little wooden crosses, each marking a British grave. If time can be spared (two or three hours) proceed as far as =Nieppe Forest=, keeping straight on, and leaving Merville on the left. [Illustration: LESTREM CHÂTEAU (_Destroyed by the German bombardments._)] [Illustration: REMAINS OF LOCON VILLAGE] Contrarily to other forests in the battle area, Nieppe Forest did not suffer greatly, although, like the others, it concealed munitions and stores. (Note the numerous narrow-gauge rails lying along the roadside.) The roads themselves bear traces of hastily constructed defence-works.