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|©1997-2004 B M Walker
La Rochelle
Arras to Therouanne
From Arras the road (D 641) leaves to the northeast through Anzin St Aubin. Passing Etrun (germ. Stroma "turbulent stream") on the confluence of the Scarpe (Scaldis celt. from pre celt. root cal "stony") and L'Ugy, Maroeuil, Bray and Ecoivres on the left it reaches Mont St Eloi with its abbey. Passing Acq on the Scarpe (Acq may hide the pre germ. river name Askjo) with its menhir, the line reaches Le Pendu where the modern road veers away left avoiding the steep ascent.
The Roman line continued over the obstacle leaving Camblain l' Abbey (Cambo celt. "bend" Gaulish "slope") on the left. The modern road rejoins just before the Cambligneul (diminutive of Camblain) to Servins (cervus lat. stag) crossroad.
The line continues through Esrée-Cauchey (Stratae lat "road" and the Picard form of Chausée). Shortly before Gauchin (gau germ. "forest" with diminutive) a sharp zigzag takes the road down the slope to cross the Brette. On the right are Fresnicourt (Friso iacum cortis germ. masculine name with iacum and lat. cohortis "farmyard") with its dolmen and Olhain (Odalo haim germ. masculine name with haim "home farm") with its chateau.
The modern road swings right to Ranchicourt (Randto iacu cortis germ. masculine name with iacum and lat. cohortis "farmyard") and Houdin (?) but the old road goes on its original line to cross the Lawe.
Climbing the steep hill, the road passes Ourton (Ortuni cortem germ. masculine name with lat cohortis "farmyard") on the left, crosses another deep valley to climb the shoulder of Mount Duquenne to Divion (Dewion celt. "holy water", Dieval, at the source of the stream, is Dewate celt. "divine").
The modern road rejoins to cross the Clarence (calonna with pre celt: cal "stony" and suffix onnolonna "river or spring") with Camblain (again a very sharp bend in the road) Châtelain on the left and Calonne-Ricouart (calonna "stony water" the river name again) on the right using a sharp zigzag to climb the escarpment.
Continuing through Cauchy à la Tour, (Picard form of chausée but "Tour" may derive from Turr|inga|hem (877) the original name of this place) the road reaches Ferfay (Frac|fagium 9 C lat. "broken beech") passing Floringhem (Floro|inga|haim germ. masculine name with ingas and haim "the home farm of Floro's people") on the right.
The Nave is crossed and two sharp realignments climb the far side of the valley to continue the alignment on the high ground through Auchy au Bois (Alci|acum lat. masculine name Alcius with iacum to give "domain of Alcius")
The road follows its alignment to the crossroad to Rely (Ratilo|iacum germ. masculine name with iacum giving "Ratilo's domain") and Ligny (Ligni|acum Gallo Roman masculine name Linius with iacum giving "domain of Linius"). Two short alignments are used to descend to cross the Laquette to Estrées Blanche (Stratae lat. "the Roman road").
Crossing the open country past Serny, Basse Bolougne (Bononia celt. "low place") and Nielles (Niga|villare germ. niga "new" and lat. villare "farm") the road drops into the valley of the Lys (Leua celt. "smooth") to reach Therouanne on the farther bank.