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 a 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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pas-de-Calais</span> Department of France

The Pas-de-Calais is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of France, with 890, and is the 8th most populous. It had a population of 1,465,278 in 2019. The Calais Passage connects to the Port of Calais on the English Channel. The Pas-de-Calais borders the departments of Nord and Somme and is connected to the English county of Kent via the Channel Tunnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nord (French department)</span> Department of France

Nord is a département in Hauts-de-France region, France bordering Belgium. It was created from the western halves of the historical counties of Flanders and Hainaut, and the Bishopric of Cambrai. The modern coat of arms was inherited from the County of Flanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nord-Pas-de-Calais</span> Former administrative region of France

Nord-Pas-de-Calais ; Picard: Nord-Pas-Calés); is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Hauts-de-France. It consisted of the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. Nord-Pas-de-Calais borders the English Channel (west), the North Sea (northwest), Belgium and Picardy (south). Until the 17th century, the history of the North was largely in common with the history of Belgium, that of a land that “for almost a thousand years served as a battlefield for all of Europe.” The majority of the region was once part of the historical Southern Netherlands, but gradually became part of France between 1477 and 1678, particularly during the reign of king Louis XIV. The historical French provinces that preceded Nord-Pas-de-Calais are Artois, French Flanders, French Hainaut and (partially) Picardy. These provincial designations are still frequently used by the inhabitants. The former administrative region was created in 1956 under the name "Nord" and maintained that name until 1972 when "Pas-de-Calais" was added. This remained unchanged until its dissolution in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lille</span> Prefecture and commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Lille is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord department, and the main city of the European Metropolis of Lille.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douai</span> City in Hauts-de-France, France

Douai is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some 40 kilometres from Lille and 25 km (16 mi) from Arras, Douai is home to one of the region's most impressive belfries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arras</span> Prefecture and commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Arras is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a Baroque town square, Arras is in northern France at the confluence of the rivers Scarpe and Crinchon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boulogne-sur-Mer</span> Subprefecture and commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Boulogne-sur-Mer, often called just Boulogne, is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the Côte d'Opale, a touristic stretch of French coast on the English Channel between Calais and Normandy, and the most visited location in the region after the Lille conurbation. Boulogne is its department's second-largest city after Calais, and the 183rd-largest in France. It is also the country's largest fishing port, specialising in herring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arques, Pas-de-Calais</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Arques is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France, bordering Saint-Omer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is the seat of the canton of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrondissement of Boulogne-sur-Mer</span> Arrondissement in Hauts-de-France, France

The arrondissement of Boulogne-sur-Mer is an arrondissement of France in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region. It has 74 communes. Its population is 159,748 (2016), and its area is 633.7 km2 (244.7 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campagne-lès-Guines</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Campagne-lès-Guines is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas de Calais region of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doudeauville, Pas-de-Calais</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Doudeauville is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landrethun-le-Nord</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Landrethun-le-Nord is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pihen-lès-Guînes</span> Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Pihen-lès-Guînes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

The canton of Boulogne-sur-Mer-Nord-Est is a former canton situated in the department of the Pas-de-Calais and in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. It was disbanded following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. It consisted of 5 communes, which joined the canton of Boulogne-sur-Mer-1 in 2015. It had a total of 18,864 inhabitants.

The canton of Boulogne-sur-Mer-Nord-Ouest is a former canton situated in the department of the Pas-de-Calais and in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. It was disbanded following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. It consisted of 2 communes, which joined the canton of Boulogne-sur-Mer-1 in 2015. It had a total of 19,157 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canton of Desvres</span> Canton in Hauts-de-France, France

The canton of Desvres is a canton situated in the department of the Pas-de-Calais and in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The canton is organised around Desvres in the arrondissement of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

The canton of Marquise is a former canton situated in the department of the Pas-de-Calais and in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. It was disbanded following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. It consisted of 21 communes, which joined the canton of Desvres in 2015. It had a total of 21,997 inhabitants (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canton of Outreau</span> Canton in Hauts-de-France, France

The canton of Outreau is a canton situated in the department of the Pas-de-Calais and in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.

The canton of Le Portel is a former canton situated in the department of the Pas-de-Calais and in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. It was disbanded following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. It consisted of 2 communes, which joined the canton of Boulogne-sur-Mer-2 in 2015. It had a total of 18,640 inhabitants (2012).

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". 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


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.