Summary
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".
Watten | |
|---|---|
 The windmill in Watten | |
 Coat of arms | |
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| Coordinates: 50°50′01″N 2°12′47″E / 50.8336°N 2.213°E | |
| 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 |
| • Density | 350/km2 (910/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 59647 /59143 |
| Elevation | 1–73 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. | |
History edit
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 edit
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 edit
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) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| 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) | 12.8 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 10.2 | 12.5 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 130.0 |
| Source: Météo-France[11] | |||||||||||||
Population edit
| Year | Pop. | ±% 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 edit
 |
The arms of Watten are blazoned : Per fess argent and gules, 3 pales counterchanged.
|
Sights edit
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 edit
References edit
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ 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
- ^ Démolition des anciens ateliers municipaux de Watten, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 27 July 2021
- ^ INSEE commune file
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
External links edit
- Official website
