Maisnières | |
|---|---|
_1.jpg) The church in Maisnières | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Maisnières | |
  Maisnières  Maisnières | |
| Coordinates:50°00′58″N1°37′02″E / 50.0161°N 1.6172°E /50.0161; 1.6172 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Somme |
| Arrondissement | Abbeville |
| Canton | Gamaches |
| Intercommunality | CC Aumale - Blangy-sur-Bresle |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Bernard Thiébault[1] |
Area 1 | 12.73 km2 (4.92 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 477 |
| • Density | 37.5/km2 (97.0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 80500 /80220 |
| Elevation | 39–116 m (128–381 ft) (avg. 71 m or 233 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Maisnières (French pronunciation:[mɛnjɛʁ]; orMaisnières-en-Vimeu;Picard:Mainniére-in-Vimeu) is acommune in theSommedepartment inHauts-de-France in northernFrance.
The commune is situated on the D22 and D190 crossroads, some 12 miles (19 km) southwest ofAbbeville.The commune is traversed by the riverVimeuse, a small tributary of theBresle. Access to the A28 autoroute is about 5 miles (8.0 km) distant.
The commune comprises seven inhabited areas.Courtieux,Ferme Touvent,Visse,Monchelet,Handrechy,Harcelaines andMaisnières.
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In 879, theNormans were pillaging theVimeu region, but were defeated in 881 byLouis III of France at theBattle of Saucourt, at the very gates of Maisnières. All the towns of the Vimeu were then fortified to try to keep out the Normans.In 1459, the château and ownership of Maisnières was sold[6] to the abbey ofCorbie for about 220 écus d'or. The abbots ofCorbie, as masters of Maisnières, collectedtithes and were also responsible for justice.
Maisnières cultivatedhops in the 17th century.
A century later, the hamlets ofCourtieux, Harcelaines and Monchelet were joined into the one parish.
The railway arrived in 1872, as part of the line servingFrévent toGamaches.
A single-storey schoolhouse was built in 1878. A second floor was added in 1954 so that two classes could be taught separately. The school was used as a billet forAustralian troops duringWorld War I, as was the château.
During theSecond World War, the Germans occupied homes, the old presbytery and the château, which served as theKommandantur. On 3 July 1944, aV1 rocket fell on the homes between the church and the presbytery. It killed 3 children from one family and wounded a dozen others. It had been launched from a site less than 3 miles (4.8 km) way, at Longuemort and had failed to take off properly.Maisnières was liberated on 2 September 1944 by a Canadianarmoured division on their way to Abbeville, where they joined up with the 1st Polish armoured division, to drive out the Germans.
Fed by the waters of the riverVimeuse, this is the last survivor of 14 mills that once worked along the river. It was owned by the abbey ofCorbie but confiscated during theFrench Revolution and sold. In 1837, the miller sought and got permission to build a new mill upstream, the present mill. The wheel was restored in 1992 and can be seen from a small bridge.
On an engineer’s map from 1854, there appears to be three active watermills on the Vimeuse.A windmill, owned by the abbey of Corbie, once stood on the small hill in Visse.
Only a small part of themotte wall still stands, 35 m long by 25 m high, on the flat top of the hill near the church, dominating the neighbourhood to the south and the west. It was destroyed between the years 1380-1400. The family that owned the castle died out in the following years, having been lords (seigneurs there for 200 years. The first lord, Guy de Maisnières, the first of that name built the castle when Guillaume, Count of Ponthieu, in November 1218, established irrefutably that Guy was the next-born brother to his own father, Jean, Count of Ponthieu.[7]
A small 16th / 17th château in brick and stone adjoined by a 16th-century chapel with a classical garden covering three hectares (7.4 acres). There are water features and an English garden and also a flower collection includingferns,narcissus andpoppies.
Saint Crispin’s church at Maisnières was built at the foot of the motte of the old castle. The bell-tower, with its slate-covered spire, was built over an earlier tower.
The church at Harcelaines is dedicated toSaint Saturnin has a bell-wall.
Agriculture is the main occupation within the commune, though in earlier times, sawmills (brought in by the Spanish) and sewing gave work to many of the inhabitants.
The coming of the railway stimulated the economic activities of the villages. A station opened in Maisnières on 9 May 1872. During thesugarbeet harvesting season, 16 trains a day were loaded. All the local lines were closed between 1972 and 1975.
Monchelet, hamlet of Maisnières, had a very busy dairy and cheese-making business from 1900 to 1977.[8] Production was principally dedicated to the famous CamembertL'Oiseau bleu, known throughoutPicardie and even exported from France.
