Poix-de-Picardie

Poix-de-Picardie (French pronunciation: [pwa də pikaʁdi], literally Poix of Picardy; Picard: Poé-d’Picardie) is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.

Poix-de-Picardie
Commune
A general view of Poix-de-Picardie
Coat of arms
Location of Poix-de-Picardie
Poix-de-Picardie Poix-de-Picardie
Coordinates: 49°46′36″N 1°59′07″E
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Amiens
Canton	Poix-de-Picardie
Intercommunality	CC Somme Sud-Ouest
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Rose-France Delaire
Area 1	11.66 km2 (4.50 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	2,313
• Density	200/km2 (510/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC 01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC 02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	80630 /80290
Elevation	94–190 m (308–623 ft) (avg. 106 m or 348 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

The commune is situated at the junction of the N1 and N29 roads, some 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Amiens, at the bottom of a rather steep-sided valley, confined by Normandy to the south and Picardy to the north. The commune has rail access at the Poix-de-Picardie station, on the Rouen to Amiens line.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	1,775	—
1975	2,172	2.93%
1982	2,267	0.61%
1990	2,191	−0.43%
1999	2,285	0.47%
2007	2,353	0.37%
2012	2,391	0.32%
2017	2,408	0.14%
Source: INSEE

Places of interest

• The sixteenth century church of Saint-Denis’ priory. In flamboyant Gothic style, the base of the tower dates from the twelfth century. Before becoming the parish church, it was the chapel of the château.
• Military cemetery. Containing the graves of 149 Second World War Commonwealth aircrew.

Tyrrel family

The Tyrrel, or Tirel, family were Lords of Poix from the twelfth to the fifteenth century. The most famous member of this family was Walter Tirel, who killed King William Rufus of England, son of William the Conqueror; whether it was an accident or an assassination has never been established. Walter's grandson Hugh Tyrrel, baron of Castleknock, played a prominent role in the Norman Conquest of Ireland and in the Third Crusade.

• 
  Church porch
• 
  The military cemetery.
• 
  The railway viaduct, under repair after destruction during World War I

See also

• Communes of the Somme department

External links

• CWGC - Commonwealth War Graves Commission pages (in English)
• Tourist Office of Poix Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
• Fiche Station Verte de Poix-de-Picardie (in French)