Did you know the geographical center of the Nord department lies within Coutiches? That’s right this unassuming village holds a surprising secret. Coutiches a charming bourg rural in the Hauts-de-France region boasts a rich history stretching back to Roman times.
Its name Coutiches derives from the Latin costicenses meaning small farms on a hillside. This perfectly describes the village’s location nestled amidst rolling hills and fertile farmland. Evidence of Gallo-Roman activity exists. Archaeological digs have uncovered several Roman tile workshops. One pottery workshop was even found at the site known as Les Sousottes.
For centuries Coutiches and the nearby Faumont were under the authority of the Abbey of Marchiennes. Later the powerful Abbey of Flines acquired five significant holdings in Coutiches. These included the Mairie the Infirmerie Pintignies Hellignies and the Grande Vacquerie. An impressive 1716 map by surveyor Joachim Defosseux details these properties. Imagine the monks of Flines overseeing their vast estates in Coutiches.
Coutiches’s history also features the now vanished Chateau de Cans. Mentioned in a 1282 document it stood near La Haizeterie. A 16th-century engraving shows the village’s church a two-nave structure. It also highlights the Chapel of Fevers a significant pilgrimage site dating back to the early Middle Ages. This chapel along with a large farm building and a now-demolished windmill formed the village’s heart.
The current Neo-Romanesque church Notre-Dame-de-Foy was rebuilt in 1823. It houses a miraculous statue of Notre-Dame-de-Foy. Coutiches also boasts several other captivating chapelles-oratoires including Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel Sainte-Philomène and Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. A scenic hiking trail links these chapels creating a captivating religious circuit.
In the 17th century the Rouge-maison hosted Coutiches’ courts. Three notable houses still stand: Pintignies Panama and the Jacquard farm. Legend holds that Louis XIV himself camped at the Chateau de Pintignies in 1677.
The last bell-ringer of Coutiches passed away in the late 1950s. He lived in a thatched cottage near the Courant de Coutiches at the end of the Lannay road. This quiet ending underscores Coutiches’ evolution from a modest village to a thriving community. Today Coutiches maintains its rural charm while embracing modern growth. It truly is a hidden gem.