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Purnode

Introduction

At the bottom of a small dry valley, perpendicular to the Bocq valley, running to the north, Purnode is a large village with housing spread out over several areas defined by the contours of the land.
There was ribbon development of the housing along the Yvoir-Spontin road during the last century which stands out due to the materials used.

A large number of blue stone and brick shrines from the turn of the century are particularly noteworthy.
You will also note the survival of cobblestones laid out in a fan shape in the centre of the village.

The Bocq brewery is a wonderful traditional brewery which was founded in 1858 and which has kept all its beer brewing arts.
It welcomes visitors keen to discover the manufacturing techniques all year round.
The Bocq brewery combines a traditional image with genuine know-how and a desire for perfection and professionalism.

History and Heritage

According to Carnoy, the name "Purnode" refers to a plum orchard ('pronote' in the 10th century). The ending –ode was often a latinisation of the Germanic "wald" meaning wood.

In the 15th century, Purnode was just a modest hamlet with 5 households. In 1628, there were 4 farms surrounded by woods. This area was a landed estate mentioned for the 1st time before the feudal Court of Poilvache by Gérard de Spontin in 1303. The fiefdom of Solonne, which corresponded to a lordly farm burned by the Dinantais in 1445, was taken over in 1580 by a monk from Moulins Abbey who gave it to a monastery. The monastery kept it until the end of the Old Regime.

In 1834, Purnode had a farming vocation. Spelt, rye, barley, oats, horse beans, potatoes, plum trees, pear trees, etc. were grown there.  

Trade was limited to farm products and animals, as well as wool and butter.

Heritage

Saint Remacle parish church is a neo-Romanesque limestone building which was built on a new site in 1880-1881.

Bocq brewery was founded in 1858 by Martin Belot. The Bocq brewery brews over 6 million litres of beer each year. They are all special beers with bottle fermentation. The Brewery is one of the rare examples of the kind still being operated in the Namur region. It has built a huge warehouse and fermentation building to meet demand. After bottling, all of the Brewery's products are stored for about two weeks at a constant temperature of just over 20 degrees, which gives them their own special flavour.

The "Saint Remacle" drama society came into being in 1879. "Les Echos du Bocq", a choral society with liberal tendencies had appeared not long before, in 1868. In 1879, it was replaced by the Catholic choral society under the impetus of Edouard Beuzard. It was at the turn of the century that the society shifted its emphasis towards drama. It was very active. Ciney bandstand was inaugurated by Purnode choir, at the end of the First World War. The singers came to the capital of the Condroze region on the brewery's lorries - bedecked with flowers for the occasion.

Granite: the granite quarry was on the road to Evrehailles. The workers were protected from the wind, sun and rain by tree branches. The work was hard and required a lot of manpower, found in Purnode, Yvoir and the neighbouring villages, where the ground was rich in limestone.