Registration for Historic Monuments 5 février 2003 (≈ 2003)
Official protection of the kettle and its coffee.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
2e quart du XXe siècle
Construction of the Bourloire
Construction of the Bourloire 2e quart du XXe siècle (≈ 2037)
Period of construction of the monument and its track.
Heritage classified
The bourloire in full, with its playing track, with the facade of the café (cad. DV 283): inscription by decree of 5 February 2003
Origin and history
La Bourloire, also known as Nouvelle Bourloire, is an iconic monument located in Tourcoing, in the department of the North (Hautes-de-France). Built during the 2nd quarter of the 20th century, it is distinguished by its playing track and its adjoining café, characteristic elements of the bourloires, these traditional games from the north of France. The whole, including the facade of the café, was inscribed in the Historic Monuments by decree of 5 February 2003, emphasizing its heritage and cultural importance.
The bourloires were popular gathering places, often associated with cafes or estaminets, where players clashed by throwing pallets on a dirt or wooden track. In Tourcoing, as in other northern cities, these games reflected the social life and leisure of local workers and artisans, especially in the 20th century. The location of this bourloire at 98 rue de Dunkirk makes it a concrete testimony to this fun and community tradition.
The listing of the Bourloire de Tourcoing as a Historic Monument in 2003 helped preserve this unique heritage, often unknown outside the region. The protected elements include the entire bourloire, its playground, and the adjacent coffee facade, identified under Parcel DV 283. This monument offers an overview of the cultural practices and modest but significant architectures of Nord-Pas-de-Calais in the 20th century.
