The abbey heritage
In Marchiennes, in Wandignies-Hamage and of course in Saint-Amand-Les Eaux, the importance of abbeys in our past is striking: the newly restored entrance door, priory, aldermancy and abbey tower are well worth a detour.
Also inherited from this past are the fine farmhouses, or ‘censes’ as they are known locally, which are still dotted across the rural landscapes today (Lecelles, Marchiennes, Rosult) and occasionally in urban areas too (Beuvry-la-Forêt). They are of great historical and architectural interest: constructed in the middle of farmlands, originally developed and exploited by monks, from the 13th century onwards they were gradually rented on a fixed-term or leasehold basis to farmers in return for the payment of ‘cens’ (land rent). Hence these farms became known as ‘censes’ and the farmer was referred to as the ‘censier’. Rebuilt and renovated over the course of the centuries, some of the oldest ones retain elements from the 17th century or earlier (the ‘Cense de Hongrie’ in Rosult) or fine features from the 18th century (the ‘Cense d’Hyverchies’ in Wandignies-Hamage).
