The Site of the Memim Gate ie
the Past
i35
THE early history of Ypres is wrapped in the darkness of long past ages. Nothing
is known for sure about it before a.d. 902, when Baldwin-the-Bald, Count of
Flanders, built a castle on a small island on the Yperlee, approximately opposite
the site of the Cathedral.
A map, made up from old chronicles, shows the primitive city which, about 930,
had gathered under the protection of the castle. The present moat, from the Lille
Gate to the Dixmude Gate Dead End seems to occupy the site of the primitive
ditch dug as a defence on the eastern side, the marshy banks of the Yperlee protecting
the western part of the city.
At the end of the tenth century the population had already developed at such a rate
that they had crossed the western bank of the river and surrounded the chateau. The
early moat was crossed by six-bridges, one of them approximately on the site of the
present Memorial Arch. The defence had also been strengthened with an earthen
parapet.
From a document, dated 1269, Ypres was then approximately the same size and
shape it is to-day. The defences had been considerably improved and the ditch
widened. Ten gates gave passage to many roads, one of them, the Hengouard Gate,"
giving entrance to both the Menin and Zonnebeke roads, meeting on the very edge of
the moat.
During the next hundred years Ypres largely increased its importance and
became one of the leading cities of Western Europe. Its productsmainly cloth
had acquired world-wide fame and were sought for on all markets. During that period
of prosperity the wealthy clothmakers built their famous Hall, which survived all
events till 1914. The population had increased at such a rate that a second moat and
parapet had to be built, the work taking from 1325 to 1328. Between both rings of
defences stood hundreds of houses, several churches and monasteries. The Kruisstraat,
near the well-known Lunatic Asylum on the Vlamertinghe Road, still reminds one of
the Holy Cross Church. At the cross-roads farther west (another favourite target for
the Boche gunners) an Augustine monastery gave its name to the road still
called Augustine Street. This road was the western boundary of Great Ypres. To the
east, the Ommeloopstraete," or contour-street," just skirted the western corner of
Zillebeke Lake, which was dug in 1295 for the water supply of the town (as was Dicke-
busch Lake in 1321), and supplied Potijze and Saint Jean. The present existing roads
circling round the city seem to be nothing but the covertway of the outer ramparts.
But the disastrous siege of 1383 by the English brought about the downfall of the
proud City of the Cloth.
The besieging army, under command of Henry Spencer, Bishop of Norwich,
numbered about 75,000 men. In Ypres, including suburbs, were about 80,000 inhabi
tants, all told, of whom not 20,000 took an active part in the defence. The too extensive
first line could not be defended and was given up without resistance, the suburbs were
utterly destroyed by the besiegers, whilst the defence was concentrated on the ramparts
of the city itself. For the first time Ypres was to be bombarded with artillery two
guns, of very primitive design, came into action opposite the Messines Gate (now Lille
Gate) and fired some 450 stone cannon balls in the course of 45 days, but it is stated
they did little actual damage.
The defence was carried out with the utmost energy and gallantry, and on August
8th the siege was given up after 62 days of active operations, during which no less than
