The Weeuwhof in the center of Poperinge consists of 26 houses around a central courtyard. In the 18th and 19th centuries, poor widows lived there. “A widow is called a ‘weewe’ in West Flemish (and certainly in Poperings), hence the name Weeuwhof,” explains archaeologist Jan Decorte.
During the excavations, archaeologists uncovered several ancient floors. A brick floor probably served as a storage place for coal. Each widow was allocated one hundred kilos of coal annually. In addition, the researchers also found original floors in red and black ceramic tiles.
Even older traces from the late Middle Ages, including shards, emerged under those floors. “We do not find any direct habitation, but we do see that this area was part of the city fabric. This way we can reconstruct step by step exactly how large medieval Poperinge was.”
Waste pit
The biggest surprise, however, was a waste pit full of horn kernels, remains of cattle and sheep horns. That find may point to a tannery or a horn worker. “Normally we always find tanneries near streams, but we don’t know of any such activity here,” says Mia Verhaeghe. “We still need to investigate further why those horn kernels ended up here. It may be a horn worker.”
“The waste pit with the horn remains is especially special,” said Bert Lemahieu. “I’ve never seen or heard anything like that.” An old coin from the time of Philip II also made an impression. “I’m probably not allowed to handle it, but I’d like to take a look with a magnifying glass.” After a thorough renovation, people who need some form of care or guidance come to live here.
