Havrincourt | |
|---|---|
 The centre of Havrincourt | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Havrincourt  | |
  Havrincourt  Havrincourt | |
| Coordinates:50°06′43″N3°05′13″E / 50.1119°N 3.0869°E /50.1119; 3.0869 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Pas-de-Calais |
| Arrondissement | Arras |
| Canton | Bapaume |
| Intercommunality | CC Sud-Artois |
Area 1 | 17 km2 (7 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 357 |
| • Density | 21/km2 (54/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 62421 /62147 |
| Elevation | 67–132 m (220–433 ft) (avg. 113 m or 371 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Havrincourt (French pronunciation:[avʁɛ̃kuʁ]) is acommune in thePas-de-Calaisdepartment inHauts-de-France inFrance.[2] The inhabitants are calledHavrincourtois.
The village lies about 14 kilometres south-west ofCambrai near the Havrincourt service area on theAutoroute A2. It is in the south-east corner of Pas-de-Calais, near to both theNord and theSomme départements.
It stands on theUpper Cretaceousplateau of theArtesiananticline, between theSomme atPéronne and theEscaut at Cambrai.
In this satellite photograph Cambrai is top right. The dark patch down left of centre is theBois d'Havrincourt. TheCanal du Nord runs northwards from there and theAutoroute A2 goes diagonally. The village lies north-east of the wood and the A26 runs in curves from north to south of the picture. To the east of that, theCanal de Saint-Quentin winds from Cambrai to the south of the picture. The chalk soil of the plateau shows pale in the fields. If you know where to look, it is just possible to detect the soil disturbance around theHindenburg Line.
Havrincourt is close to theA2 -A26motorway interchange which leads to south and north-going junctions of the A1. Three motorway access points are distant about 12 km (7.5 mi) from the village. The Canal du Nord passes through the western edge of the commune.
In 1877 a railroad section fromBapaume to Havrincourt opened. This was later extended toMarcoing. TheAchiet–Marcoing railway primarily served the sugar industry. The railroad connections to Havrincourt closed down in 1969.
The commune produces cereals, endives, and beet. Livestock raised includes poultry and beef. Timber is harvested from the wood. There is a camping and caravan site.
The village holds a festival on the Sunday nearest 24 June. Sports pursued are shooting and fishing and there is a village hall.
In 1125 it was referred to asHaverencort. Thebarony of Havrincourt was promoted to amarquisate in 1693. TheCardevacque d'Havrincourt family then played a prominent role during the FrenchRégence period (1715–1723).
The construction of the Canal du Nord had reached the commune in 1914 when theFirst World War broke out. In the winter of 1916-17, its incomplete earthworks were here incorporated into the defences of theHindenburg Line, the main or front line of which ran right through the village. As a consequence, the commune was the scene of two battles each of which was in its own way, significant in the history of the war.
In November 1917, theHindenburg Main Line (Siegfried Stellung) ran through the village. The taking of Havrincourt was part of the opening phase of theBattle of Cambrai (1917), whentanks were used in a coordinated way for the first time. On the night of 19–20 November, soldiers ofBritish 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division prepared for the event in Havrincourt Wood. The motorway now passes through the part which in 1917 had been felled as part of the front of the Hindenburg Line and was occupied by anartillery battery. TheTank Corps mustered behind the battery, in the south-west corner of the wood. The infantry battalions present were the 2/5th,2/6th,2/7th (Leeds Rifles) and2/8th (Leeds Rifles) BnsWest Yorkshire Regiment, 2/4th and 2/5th BnsKOYLI,2/4th and2/5th BnsYork and Lancaster Regiment.
The second battle was theBattle of Havrincourt, opening on 12 September 1918, which was significant because it began the German retreat back to theBelgian border with France. Arrival in that vicinity coincided with the implementation ofThe Armistice. At Havrincourt, on 12 September, 62nd Division was again present, this time with theNew Zealand Division.
The commune was awarded the FrenchCroix de Guerre on 23 September 1920.
There are no really old buildings as everything was destroyed by the establishment of the Hindenburg Line and the two battles, particularly that of 1917. However, thechâteau was rebuilt by 1925 in the style of the periods ofHenri IV andLouis XIII (1589–1643), the equivalent of the EnglishJacobean. It consists of five adjoining blocks of building each with a steeply pitched roof.
The church of St Géry too, was rebuilt after 1918. It includes seven grave slabs of theCardevacque d'Havrincourt family from the period 1648 to 1776. There is a chapel ofthe Virgin with ablack Madonna and a chapel ofSt Martin.
TheBois d'Havrincourt is extensive and there is a finepanoramic view from the Bridge on the Canal du Nord.
