Watten, Nord

Last updated

Watten
Commune
MoulinWatten.jpg
The windmill in Watten
Blason ville fr Watten (Nord).svg
Coat of arms
Location of Watten
Watten, Nord
France location map-Regions and departements-2016.svg
Red pog.svg
Watten
Hauts-de-France region location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Watten
Coordinates: 50°50′01″N2°12′47″E / 50.8336°N 2.213°E / 50.8336; 2.213
Country France
Region Hauts-de-France
Department Nord
Arrondissement Dunkerque
Canton Wormhout
Intercommunality Hauts de Flandre
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Daniel Deschodt [1]
Area
1
7.32 km2 (2.83 sq mi)
Population
 (2021) [2]
2,577
 • Density350/km2 (910/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
59647 /59143
Elevation1–73 m (3.3–239.5 ft)
(avg. 55 m or 180 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Watten (French pronunciation: [wat] ; [3] [4] Dutch : Waten, meaning "ford" as in "river-crossing") is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. [5] Its inhabitants are called "Wattenais".

Contents

History

In the 10th century the region around Watten belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Riquier though the counts of Boulogne and Flanders attempted to take possession of it. [6] The abbey of Watten was the oldest foundation of regular canons in the dioceses of Therouanne. [7] While on the way to the Holy Land during the First Crusade, count Robert II of Flanders received several relics from the duke of Apulia, Roger Borsa, including a hair of the Virgin as well as some bones of St Matthew and St Nicholas. [8] Robert II sent them back to his wife Clemence who had them installed in the abbey of Watten in October 1097. [9]

In 1099, pope Urban II granted the regular canons of the Abbey privileges. [10]

Geography

Watten is located at the limit of the French Flanders historical county. However, the local Dutch dialect (French Flemish) is virtually extinct. The neighbouring villages are Wattendam (commune of Holque), Millam, Serques, Éperlecques and Wulverdinghe.

While Watten belongs to the Nord département , it is bordering the Pas-de-Calais département. The village is crossed by the rivers Aa and Colme.

Climate

Watten has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Watten is 11.3 °C (52.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 822.8 mm (32.39 in) with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 18.6 °C (65.5 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.8 °C (40.6 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Watten was 41.9 °C (107.4 °F) on 25 July 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −19.3 °C (−2.7 °F) on 14 January 1982.

Climate data for Watten (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1970−present)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)16.1
(61.0)		20.0
(68.0)		25.9
(78.6)		28.9
(84.0)		32.8
(91.0)		35.8
(96.4)		41.9
(107.4)		37.0
(98.6)		33.6
(92.5)		29.9
(85.8)		20.3
(68.5)		16.4
(61.5)		41.9
(107.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)7.6
(45.7)		8.5
(47.3)		11.7
(53.1)		15.5
(59.9)		18.6
(65.5)		21.3
(70.3)		23.7
(74.7)		23.8
(74.8)		20.7
(69.3)		16.1
(61.0)		11.1
(52.0)		7.9
(46.2)		15.5
(59.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)4.8
(40.6)		5.3
(41.5)		7.6
(45.7)		10.3
(50.5)		13.5
(56.3)		16.3
(61.3)		18.5
(65.3)		18.6
(65.5)		15.7
(60.3)		12.1
(53.8)		8.1
(46.6)		5.2
(41.4)		11.3
(52.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)2.0
(35.6)		2.0
(35.6)		3.5
(38.3)		5.1
(41.2)		8.3
(46.9)		11.2
(52.2)		13.4
(56.1)		13.4
(56.1)		10.8
(51.4)		8.1
(46.6)		5.0
(41.0)		2.6
(36.7)		7.1
(44.8)
Record low °C (°F)−19.3
(−2.7)		−14.6
(5.7)		−11.0
(12.2)		−4.6
(23.7)		−1.4
(29.5)		1.1
(34.0)		4.5
(40.1)		4.7
(40.5)		1.3
(34.3)		−6.8
(19.8)		−9.6
(14.7)		−13.8
(7.2)		−19.3
(−2.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)69.5
(2.74)		57.8
(2.28)		50.0
(1.97)		43.9
(1.73)		56.4
(2.22)		58.8
(2.31)		67.0
(2.64)		72.9
(2.87)		71.9
(2.83)		83.9
(3.30)		97.3
(3.83)		93.4
(3.68)		822.8
(32.39)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)12.810.99.88.69.29.18.98.710.212.514.114.2130.0
Source: Météo-France [11]

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 3,005—    
1975 2,819−0.91%
1982 3,235+1.99%
1990 3,030−0.81%
1999 2,925−0.39%
2007 2,731−0.85%
2012 2,536−1.47%
2017 2,563+0.21%
Source: INSEE [12]

Heraldry

Arms of Watten Blason ville fr Watten (Nord).svg
Arms of Watten
The arms of Watten are blazoned  :
Per fess argent and gules, 3 pales counterchanged.



Sights

The village is famous for its old ruined abbey, and for its mill, which was restored in the 1990s. These two buildings are located on the "Mountain of Watten" (72 metres high). Its church dates from the thirteenth century.

Nearby is the Blockhaus d'Éperlecques, a massive German bunker site from World War Two, wrecked by Allied bombing. It is now a museum.

See also

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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 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Watten, Wasquehal, Boeschepe... : comment on prononce les communes du Nord et du Pas-de-Calais ?, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 27 July 2021
  4. ↑ Démolition des anciens ateliers municipaux de Watten, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 27 July 2021
  5. ↑ INSEE commune file
  6. ↑ Tanner, Heather (2004). Families, Friends and Allies Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England, C.879-1160. Brill. p. 72. ISBN   9789047402558 . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Goossens, Jean; Milis, Ludovicus; Verbeke, Werner (2005). Medieval Narrative Sources A Gateway Into the Medieval Mind. Leuven University Press. p. 83. ISBN   9789058673985 . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Runciman, Steven (1951). A History of the Crusades: Volume 1, The First Crusade and the Foundation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge University Press. p. 166. ISBN   9780521061612 . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Ott, John S. (December 2015). Bishops, Authority and Community in Northwestern Europe, C.1050-1150. Cambridge University Press. p. 111. ISBN   9781107017818 . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Constable, Giles (2010). The Abbey of Cluny A Collection of Essays to Mark the Eleven-hundredth Anniversary of Its Foundation. Lit. p. 172. ISBN   9783643107770 . Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France . Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  12. ↑ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE


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