Discover Boignée: Church, limestone and village history

Boignée brings together the history of its church and farm with traces of former limestone extraction, several routes and a microbrewery. When looking for a holiday rental in Boignée, you can first decide what you would most like to focus on during your trip: are you mainly interested in architectural and village history, the limestone industry or one of the routes?

Saint-Lambert: architectural history spanning several periods

The Church of Saint-Lambert is a large neo-Romanesque building made of brick and blue limestone, built in 1877. It stands on the hill of the former cemetery, on the site of an earlier church that was probably built in the 18th century. A stone bearing the year 1753 points to this earlier building phase. The church site thus brings together traces from several periods.

Changes to the building are also part of its history: the tower that housed the bell frame was demolished in 1976 because its structural stability was at risk due to ground subsidence. The church has organs dating from 1993. A school memorial ceremony was held at the Monument commémoratif de Boignée on Monday, 14 April 2025, at 10:30 a.m.

Ferme du Chapitre and village life

Ferme du Chapitre was once owned by the collegiate chapter of Saint-Feuillien de Fosses-la-Ville, which had a presence in the village from the 11th century onwards. Most of the buildings date from the 19th century; part of the 17th-century barns has been preserved. The buildings therefore tell of different periods of construction and of the former connection with the chapter.

The water basin beside Ferme du Chapitre is a “wez”: an old Walloon term for a pond or watering place for livestock fed by a spring or watercourse. The Archives de Boignée offer another way to explore village life, with a permanent collection of almost 3,000 photographs and hundreds of documents about various aspects of the village. While the church and farm bring together architectural traces from different periods, the collection covers many different facets of village life.

Limestone, the Ligne and two routes

The Carrières de Boignée is a former limestone quarry. The stone extracted there was used both for construction and for making lime. The wider landscape also has an industrial past: this section of the Ligne valley was once home to numerous lime kilns. Together, the quarry and valley show how closely limestone, construction and lime production are linked in the area’s history.

The Boignée–Balâtre route passes through the landscapes of Boignée and Balâtre, always staying close to the Ligne. Another option is “Boignée la charmante”, an additional 5.8 km section of a modular village walking route that starts at the Ligny 1815 Museum. The two descriptions highlight different features: “Boignée la charmante” is a specific section with a stated length, while the Boignée–Balâtre route stands out for passing through two landscapes close to the Ligne. Check the route details before setting out.

A contemporary touch

The Brasserie Sortie 14 microbrewery was established in Boignée in 2021 and produces changing varieties of craft beer. This local product adds another dimension to the themes of architectural history and former limestone extraction. When planning your trip, you can weigh up these different interests: local history, industrial history, routes or craft beer.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Gesves, Haltinne, Soulme, Bièvre, Rochefort, Noville-Sur-Méhaigne, Hastière, Doische.

Back to the main travel overview: Namen.