Demolished long ago Rue de la Porte d’Ypres still echoes with history. Imagine its bustling past.
Rue de la Porte d’Ypres once led to a grand city gate. The Porte d’Ypres. This impressive structure was part of Lille’s fortifications. It stood in the extension of the Rue Royale. Built during Lille’s expansion in 1670 the gate replaced the older Porte Saint-Pierre. The Porte d’Ypres was massive. It measured 27 meters long and 12.5 meters high. Its imposing facade featured three bays on each side. A central bay held the gateway itself. Sculptures adorned the upper level.
The gate was rebuilt in the late 19th century. This was likely to accommodate the city’s growing tramway system. Two large doorways 3.4 meters wide allowed trams to pass through. These served lines going to Lambersart and Wambrechies. Can you picture the clang of the trams the shouts of conductors the rumble of the wheels?
Outside the Porte d’Ypres ran the Canal de la Moyenne-Deûle. This waterway was part of Lille’s defensive system. It connected the Esplanade to the Basse Deûle. A waterway that ran along the fortifications. This canal was later filled in around 1890. A boat graveyard remained until the 1930s.
The Porte d’Ypres met its end. It was demolished in the 1920s. This was part of a wider demolition of Lille’s ramparts. Today only its memory remains. A quiet reminder of a vibrant past. A past we can glimpse in our imagination. A past along Rue de la Porte d’Ypres.