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Clerques

Coordinates: 50°47′37″N 1°59′43″E / 50.7936°N 1.9953°E / 50.7936; 1.9953
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Clerques
Klarke
The Sower and Saint-Barthélémy's church
The Sower and Saint-Barthélémy's church
Coat of arms of Clerques
Location of Clerques
Map
Clerques is located in France
Clerques
Clerques
Clerques is located in Hauts-de-France
Clerques
Clerques
Coordinates: 50°47′37″N 1°59′43″E / 50.7936°N 1.9953°E / 50.7936; 1.9953
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentPas-de-Calais
ArrondissementSaint-Omer
CantonLumbres
IntercommunalityPays de Lumbres
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Aurélien Dommanget[1]
Area
1
6.39 km2 (2.47 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
317
 • Density50/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC 01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC 02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
62228 /62890
Elevation37–173 m (121–568 ft)
(avg. 47 m or 154 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Clerques (French pronunciation: [klɛʁk]; West Flemish: Klarke) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.[3]

Geography

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A small farming village situated 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Saint-Omer, on the D217 road, nestled in the valley of the river Hem at the foot of the Boulonnais, which is a wooded ridge at this point. Two hamlets, Audenfort to the west and Le Hamel to the East, make up the remainder of the commune.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 186—    
1975 180−0.47%
1982 209 2.16%
1990 215 0.35%
1999 213−0.10%
2007 249 1.97%
2012 285 2.74%
2017 327 2.79%
Source: INSEE[4]

History

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The recent history of the village was marked by the flooding of the river, on 13 August 2006. The stone bridge in the village centre, built in 1862, was destroyed after exceptional rainfall upstream at Licques. The river, usually quiet, had accumulated such a speed it turned into an uncontrollable torrent.[5]

Transport

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The Chemin de fer de Boulogne à Bonningues (CF de BB) opened a station at Audenfort, near Clerques, on 22 April 1900.[6] Passenger services were withdrawn on 31 December 1935.[7] They were reinstated in November 1942.[8] The CF de BB closed in 1948.[9]

Places of interest

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  • The church of St. Barthélemy, dating from the thirteenth century.
  • The chapel of St. Théresa
  • Audenfort mill, which ceased to operate in the 1970s, and is now converted into a hotel-restaurant
  • The former flour mill at Hamel, now a hydro-electric generator.
  • The new symbol of the village: The statue of the Sower, which symbolizes the friendship between the town of Clerques and the Belgian village of Klerken.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ INSEE commune file
  4. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  5. ^ Conseil Général du Pas de Calais - CG62 Archived 2006-11-27 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Farebrother & Farebrother 2008, p. 139.
  7. ^ Farebrother & Farebrother 2008, p. 239.
  8. ^ Farebrother & Farebrother 2008, p. 248.
  9. ^ Farebrother & Farebrother 2008, p. 276.

Sources

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  • Farebrother, Martin J B; Farebrother, Joan S (2008). Tortillards of Artois. Usk: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-554-5.
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