Abbey of Saint Winnoc

The Abbey of Saint Winnoc (French: Abbaye de Saint-Winoc) is a former monastery in Bergues, in the department of Nord in northern France.

In 899 Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders, had the relics of Saint Winnoc moved to Bergues and constructed a new church there.

It was originally a collegiate church, but in 1022 Count Baldwin expelled the canons and turned the monastery into a Benedictine abbey.

From an early date, it began issuing its own coins and received permission to hold a yearly market in Wormhout.

Only the former gate of the monastery (later moved somewhat) and two towers were preserved, the latter because they served as daymarks, a form of navigational aid for sailors.

Ruins of the Abbey of Saint Winnoc; the towers were preserved when the abbey was demolished since they served as daymarks for sailors.
The abbey in the 17th century; illustration by Antoon Sanders in Flandria Illustrata , 1641.