Mont-Saint-Jean farm

October 2012

- The restoration works of the façade and of the pigeon house above the entrance of Mont-Saint-Jean farma are now finished.  This farm is the last reminder and the last remaining building of the hamlet of Mont-Saint-Jean. The pigeon house collapsed in the 1990', destroying part of the façade.  These works were financed at 60 % by the Walloon Region.

Unfortunately, we have just heard that there is a project for the building of a hotel at the back of the farm, what would be totally against the 1914 law of protection of the battlefield. If that is allowed, that would mean that there is no need to respect that law and that anything is allowed...

 

July 2012

The pigeon house appears to be finished, apart from the roof.

 

 

May 2012

The restoration works on the pigeon house of the Mont-Saint-Jean farm are advancing.


The Templar's stone is back in place.


The plaque to the British Army Medical Services has been cleaned, but unfortunatley, the bottom left corner has been chipped.

March 2012 : works have started !

The restoration works of the façade and of the pigeon house above the entrance are advancing. 

 

 

The commemorative plaque to the British Army Medical Services has already been put back in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In October 2011, the restauration of the Mont-Saint-Jean farm was officially announced!

The Walloon Region has given all necessary authorizations and the restauration should take place in 2012.

http://napoleon-monuments.eu/Napoleon1er/1815MontUK_EN.htm#Gunning

 

Mont-Saint-Jean Farm to be restored - at last ? 

Everyone interested in the battle of Waterloo knows the famous Mont-Saint-Jean farm, where a field hospital was located during and after the battle, and where hundreds of wounded  soldiers of both sides were taken care of and where many of them died.

At the end of the seventies, the pigeon house above the archway collapsed through the action of a light earthquake (or maybe because of the traffic?) and since then, the whole historic building is completely defaced.

Even the commemorative plate posed by the Medical Corps lies miserably on the ground.

If everything goes according to plan, this pitiful sight might soon only be a bad memory.  Indeed, there is are currently in front of the building an advertisement concerning a request for the restoration of the archway, the pigeon house and the stables of the Mont-Saint-Jean farm.  This document dates from February 2009.

With a bit of luck, we should soon see the Mont-Saint-Jean farm in its past splendour, like one could see it in the seventies...

IN MEMORY OF
DEPUTY INSPECTOR GUNNING
PRINCIPAL MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE 1ST CORPS
THE SURGEONS AND OTHERS MEMBERS
OF THE FIELD HOSPITAL
WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN THIS FARM
TO CARE FOR THE WOUNDED OF THE BATTLEFIELD
18TH JUNE 1815
THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED IN 1981
BY THE ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS

But how long shall we have to wait before the restoration of the archway of the 'ferme d'En-Haut", at Ligny.  Also 30 years after its collapse ?

There are also some rumours - but they might be just rumours- that the Gordon monument - also in a bad shape- might soon be restored.

Works in progress in October 2011 (modification 10/2011)

Let's hope that the "Aigle blessé" will not remain the only monument on the battlefield without any restoration project and that it will not go on falling into decay, while those who want to do something about it, are not allowed to do so...

Bought in December 2010 by the Province of Walloon Brabant. (modification 2011)

 

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