Only the base of the nave and the white limestone bell tower remain of the original Saint-Nicolas church in Noircourt from the 12th and 13th centuries. It was one of the first in the Thiérache to be rebuilt from the end of the 15th century.

The choir was built in the first half of the 16th century and the upper part of the bell tower and the nave were rebuilt a few decades later. The numerous fortification elements are particularly striking here and make this church one of the most beautiful in the entire region, and not just in my opinion.

The two high, oriel-like, Scharwacht towers on either side of the porch are made entirely of brick and stand out against the white of the bell tower. Due to their arrangement, they offer a 270° firing angle. Two further watchtowers made of white stone with pillars form an angle around the transept. A final round tower is located on the north side of the church.

If you already think this church is one of the most interesting and beautiful on this site, you have not yet admired the interior. And this is always possible here, because Saint-Nicolas is one of the most reliably open of the fortified churches of the Thiérache.

The marble high altar, which comes from the former Premonstratensian abbey of Chaumont-Porcien in the Ardennes, would be worth seeing in other churches on its own; here, however, it is overshadowed by the murals and stained glass by Dutch artist Henk Beeckman from 1964, which alone justify a visit to this church.