Roisel: Architectural History, Remembrance and the Voie Verte

Roisel can be understood through its architectural history, memorial sites and a named route through wetlands. These topics appeal to different interests: 20th-century architecture, remembrance of wartime, as well as cycling or hiking. If you choose a destination based on such themes, the specific places and dates below can help you find your bearings.

Buildings dating from 1926 to 1930

Roisel Town Hall dates from 1926 and was designed by M. Lucet. The Salle des fêtes et cinéma dates from 1927 and was designed by Henri Bénard. The Groupe scolaire was designed by Maurice Martineau and dates from 1930. All three buildings have carried the “Patrimoine XXe siècle” label since 2005. Chronologically, they form a sequence from 1926 through 1927 to 1930; at the same time, three different designers are linked by a shared distinction. For architecture enthusiasts, this selection offers a compact comparison of construction dates and design attributions.

Saint-Martin: Relief and architectural history

At the parish church of Saint-Martin, above the main portal on the stone lintel, there is a bas-relief depicting the Charity of Saint Martin. A bas-relief projects only slightly from the surface; a lintel is the structural element above an opening. These terms describe the form of the motif and its architectural location. The parish church was completely destroyed during the war. Work on the parish church was officially accepted as complete on 28 May 1930.

Remembrance at the communal cemetery

The extension to the communal cemetery lies immediately north of the communal cemetery, on the eastern side of the road to Villers-Faucon. It was laid out in October and November 1918. After the armistice, it was completed by bringing together British and German graves from areas north, east and south of Roisel. The site was therefore established during the final months of the war, while its completion came after the armistice. The extension commemorates 514 German nationals, 190 of whom have not been identified. Those interested in remembrance of the First World War will find a memorial site here with specific information about its location, creation and the consolidation of the graves.

Voie Verte Péronne-Roisel

The Voie Verte Péronne-Roisel runs through marshes and peat bogs. A route description updated on 29 June 2025 rates it as very easy for road cycling, hiking, cycling on a touring bike and mountain biking. The rating therefore covers hiking as well as several types of cycling. For trip planning, it pairs a specific range of activities with the described landscape. If you are weighing cultural history against outdoor activity, you can consider the wetlands as a destination in their own right.

Discover more destinations: Beauval, Béalcourt, Doullens, Nampont, Conty, Beaumetz, Villers-Sur-Authie, Beauquesne.

For the broader travel overview: Somme.