More plausibly there was a small abbey, founded in the 11th century, "in the middle of the Forest of Arrouaise", at Aubencheul-aux-Bois near the N44 and about halfway between Cambrai and St. Quentin. It lies between Mesnil-en-Arrouaise (10 km SE of Bapaume) and Montigny-en-Arrouaise (15 km ENE of St. Quentin). Auboncheul lies on the border between Picardy and Hainaut as represented by the départements of Aisne and Nord. This site, on the St Quentin to Cambrai road, is much better suited to serving travellers, being on both the Paris to Mechelen and the London to Dijon roads. That means the France to Flanders and England to Burgundy diplomatic routes, as well as that from England and western Flanders to Rome. Besides these, the commercial traffic between Italy and Flanders grew in importance during the medieval period. Both Cambrai and St Quentin were part of it. Four kilometres to the south of Aubencheul is Gouy, which used to be called Gouy en Arrouaise. The foundation charters of Bourne Abbey in Lincolnshire and Missenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire both describe the dedication of Arrouaise as being to St Nicholas.