Saint-Médard in Beaurain, part of the commune of Flavigny le Grand et Beaurain, which was merged after the Revolution, is without doubt one of the most spectacular sights among the fortified churches of the Thiérache. The massive church stands on a hill overlooking the Oise valley, surprisingly far outside the village of Beaurain, which meant that the inhabitants had to walk a long way to reach the church’s shelter.

A first church was built in the middle of the 16th century, which was then extended around 100 years later to become the fortress we still see today.

Two cylindrical towers are attached to the huge, square, three-storey keep in front of the nave – built half in stone, half in brick – and stand at the junction of the nave. The upper part of these are decorated with arcades. Strong buttresses support the corners of the keep as well as the two towers.

Two further towers flank the end of the choir. What is remarkable about the towers and their arrangement is that from the smallest in the north-east to the largest in the north-west, none of them are the same size. One theory for this is that the gunners of the last tower were to be given a round, unobstructed view of the surrounding area.

The volume of the nave was designed so that the cattle could be housed below and the population under the roof, while the warriors divided the defence rooms of the towers and the keep among themselves.

Saint-Medard has only recently been thoroughly renovated and now shines like new again. As part of the renovation work, a picnic area was also built under the trees in front of the western gate of the churchyard, which offers beautiful views of the church.

Unfortunately, contrary to the information on the Thiérache Tourisme site, the church was always closed when we visited at the weekend. However, the interior has also been modernised and the upper floors are only accessible during group visits or open days. Of course, we still have to come back.