Église Saint-Vaast de Béthune, Neo-Gothic church in Béthune, France
Église Saint-Vaast is a brick church with reinforced concrete and stone, built in a regionalist Neo-Gothic (Neo-Flemish) style. Its 68-metre tower rises in front of three pointed-arch porches, and metal roof trusses structure the vaults. The tower echoes the destroyed 1547 church and regional models such as Aire-sur-la-Lys, Dunkirk and Ypres.
The original church dated from 1547 and was destroyed during World War I. It was fully reconstructed between 1924 and 1927 under architect Louis Marie Cordonnier.
The stained glass windows show scenes from Béthune's history and the life of Saint Vaast, created by glazier Charles Champigneulle. They tell the stories of the city and its patron through detailed, colorful images.
The tower rises 68 metres at the front of the church, above three pointed-arch porches, so it can be picked out from several streets in Béthune. The four bells hang in that tower; they were cast in 1927 by Charles Wauthy of Douai and named Ghislaine-Louise, Marthe-Julia, Henriette-Madeleine and Marie-Élisabeth-Monique. Look for the rose window and the paired louvered openings near the top of the stone tower.
The tower's design copies that of the church destroyed in World War I and of regional brick towers such as those at Aire-sur-la-Lys, Dunkirk and Ypres. Inside, the vaults are carried by metal roof frames, a modern technique hidden behind the brick Gothic shell.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,430 contributors worldwide.
