“Another world awaits us here on Rue des Bois Blancs.” This street whispers tales of transformation. Today we will explore its history and its modern identity. The Rue des Bois Blancs lies in a district that was once outside Lille’s 19th-century fortifications.
Let’s start with the name. Bois Blancs means “white woods”. This refers to the white poplar trees that once grew here. Imagine this area long ago. It was a marshy landscape crossed by branches of the Deûle River. Monks from Loos Abbey dug ditches to cultivate the land. For centuries, a single road connected Lille to other cities. This road ran near the present-day Avenues Marx Dormoy and Dunkerque. A hamlet called Canteleu grew along this route. The Rue des Bois Blancs was part of this rural landscape.
In 1670, Vauban fortified Lille. His work included a redoubt near the Canteleu bridge. This area could be flooded to protect the city. The area extended beyond today’s Bois Blancs. It reached north of Wazemmes. Canteleu remained mostly rural until 1858. That year, Lille annexed Wazemmes and Esquermes. Factories began appearing in Canteleu in the 1850s. One was Eugène Verstraete’s linen mill established in 1857. Despite this, the area remained relatively undeveloped until the 1870s.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked significant industrial growth for Rue des Bois Blancs. In 1876, the Le Blan factory arrived. Around 1920, its subsidiary “Cotonnière lilloise” followed. It was located between Avenue de Bretagne and the canal. The North Electricity and Gas factory also opened here. Workers’ housing sprang up between Quai de l’Ouest and Rue des Bois Blancs. The Saint-Charles church was constructed in 1906. Its bell tower was completed in 1933. Until 1950, the southwest part of the district remained aquatic. The Fourchon river flowed through it with a farm encircled by a ditch.
After the ramparts were removed in the 1920s, the connection with the city improved. But the creation of the Port de Lille from 1948 to 1950 re-established the separation. The port’s construction led to filling in the Arbonnoise river. Rue Lequeux became Avenue de Dunkerque in 1958. Part of it was renamed Avenue Marx-Dormoy.
In 1960, the Guynemer school and the “Cité de transit Saint-Sauveur” were built. These replaced the filled-in Fourchon. They re-housed residents from the Saint-Sauveur district. In 1974, the port was upgraded for larger vessels. The Le Blan factories closed in the late 1980s.
Since 2006, the converted buildings have housed the EuraTechnologies activity center. New buildings were constructed in the early 2010s between Quai de l’Ouest and Résidence des Aviateurs. Rue du Pont à Fourchon commemorates the disappeared waterway. The Bois Blancs district’s new town hall opened in September 2019. It is located on this street near the quay.
Today Rue des Bois Blancs is part of a larger project. It is the ZAC des rives de la Haute-Deûle Bois Blancs Lille. The project includes the EuraTechnologies district and industrial brownfields. Refurbishment of the “gare d’eau” is also planned. This water area is inhabited by barges. The goal is to support activities related to water.
As you stroll along Rue des Bois Blancs today, notice the mix of old and new. Imagine the white woods that once stood here. Appreciate the industrial heritage and modern transformation. This street is a testament to Lille’s constant evolution. Thank you for joining this walk through time.