Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The Polissoir de Féchain is a megalithic monument dated from the Protohistory, discovered in 1968 during the enlargement of the right bank of the Sensée, on the neighbouring commune of Aubencheul-au-Bac. It was then moved and installed in the center of Féchain, where it is still present today. This block of sandstone, with an initial length of 4 meters, was broken during its extraction, reducing its current dimensions to 1.90 m long for 1.10 m wide. Its upper surface has ten bowls and six polishing grooves, characteristic of the tools of that time.

The Polishoir was listed as a historical monument on 4 June 1980, recognizing its archaeological and heritage value. In 2021, its presence in the city centre posed a regulatory challenge during a municipal project to renovate the local school, due to legal constraints protecting the surroundings of historic monuments. This case illustrates the possible tensions between heritage preservation and urban development.

This monolith, weighing about 7 tons, is considered the largest polisher in the Hauts-de-France region. Its sandstone, a material typical of prehistoric polishing tools, bears witness to the craft techniques of the time. Although it is now located on Rue Louis-Chantreau in Féchain, its initial location near the Sensée suggests a link with the river activities or the exchanges of the Protohistory in this area.

Future

The polisher is the only one of the French polishers, exposed in open access on the public road, but protected by a set of windows.

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