The Mound Quiquempois

It was here that around 1200, Gilbert de Bourghelles, the « châtelain » of Lille, built his fortified house. As a « châtelain », he was a territorial feudal agent, committed by the count to assert his prerogatives and more precisely the right of ban.
Gilbert de Bourghelles was a local knight, who served the counts of Flanders and fought alongside Ferdinand of Portugal, during the Battle of Bouvines in 1214, against Philip Augustus, the King of France.Loyal and devoted counselor of the count of Flanders, the latter thanked him by dismembering his domain of Annappes to give him a part as a fief around 1200. Here, Gilbert de Bourghelles has undeniable assets. First of all, the marshes and the available water currents allowed him to build his defensive perimeter. The moat, as it is still visible today, surrounds the fortified house and gave a slight protection in case of attacks. This is also the case of the ditches that had been dug to drain the Annappes marshes that surrounded the mound. The path that bypasses the mound, and that you just took, follow the original layout of the old ditches.Far from being just a residence, the mound is also surrounded by its large agricultural estate. This is the farmyard, installed beyond the moat. Here, graze cattle and sheep needed for the manufacture of wool, the biggest part of Flanders’ economy. Therefore, we found in this farmyard the dwellings of the peasants, the stables, the sheepfold, etc.
There is nothing left from the walls that previously made up the house, but we have an idea of what the Mound Quiquempois used to be thanks, to the archaeological researchs that were carried out from 1970.