Rely, Pas-de-Calais

Rely
Commune
The town hall of Rely
Coat of arms
Location of Rely
Rely Show map of France Rely Show map of Hauts-de-France
Coordinates: 50°34′22″N2°21′48″E / 50.5728°N 2.3633°E / 50.5728; 2.3633
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Pas-de-Calais
Arrondissement	Béthune
Canton	Aire-sur-la-Lys
Intercommunality	CA Béthune-Bruay, Artois-Lys Romane
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Jean-Marie Macke [1]
Area 1	4.83 km2 (1.86 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2020) [2]	453
• Density	94/km2 (240/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	62701 /62120
Elevation	55–103 m (180–338 ft) (avg. 98 m or 322 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Rely (Picard: Arly) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. ^[3]

Geography

Rely is situated some 12 miles (19 km) west of Béthune and 34 miles (55 km) southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D341 (an old Roman road, the Chaussée Brunehaut) and the D90 road. The A26 autoroute passes by the commune.

History

The village of Rely existed during the Gallo-Roman period and was located on a Roman road, the ‘’Chausée (carriageway) Brunehaut’’, that connected Thérouanne, Arras and Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Many villages on or near this Brunehaut road have the same origins, such as Blessy, Estrée-Blanche, Ligny, Auchy-au-Bois and Ferfay. Originally small Roman stations where troops or convoys came to rest and eat on their travels between Rome, Arras, Thérouanne and Boulogne, these stations then developed and became the villages of today.
The castle, built on a hill surrounded by a wide and deep moat served as a refuge against the successive invasions and plundering of the Normans, Flemish and Spanish armies. Rely has followed the fate of the volatile Artois region over the centuries:

• In 863 it was part of Flanders.
• In 1180 it became French territory.
• In 1226 it was given to Robert I of Artois, son Louis VIII.
• In 1384 it belonged to Charles the Bold of Burgundy.
• In 1493 it passed to the House of Habsburg.
• In 1640 Artois was reconquered by France, however only a portion of it was returned to France, the other part, which included Rely, stayed in Flanders.
• In 1679, all of the region of Artois was finally ceded to France.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	378	—
1975	360	−0.69%
1982	351	−0.36%
1990	348	−0.11%
1999	371	+0.71%
2007	421	+1.59%
2012	472	+2.31%
2017	454	−0.77%
Source: INSEE [4]

Places of interest

• The church of St.Martin, dating from the sixteenth century.
• The motte and moat of a feudal castle.

See also

• Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
2. "Populations légales 2020". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
3. INSEE commune file
4. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE