Beuvry

Beuvry is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.

Beuvry
Commune
The town hall of Beuvry
Coat of arms
Location of Beuvry
Beuvry
Beuvry
Coordinates: 50°31′14″N 2°40′49″E
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentPas-de-Calais
ArrondissementBéthune
CantonBeuvry
IntercommunalityCommunauté d'agglomération de Béthune-Bruay, Artois-Lys Romane
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Nadine Lefebvre
Area
1
16.85 km2 (6.51 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
9,442
 • Density560/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
62126 /62660
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

A suburban town immediately southwest of Béthune, 23 miles (37.0 km) southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D945, D72 and N41 roads. Light industry and a little farming have replaced the coal mining of the past.

History

The town's name comes from beaver (in Old French, bièvre) and underwent variations on this over the centuries: Berri; Beuvri; Bevery; Bouvry and finally Beuvry.

Meusnier's dirigible built and flown by the Robert brothers from Paris to Beuvry in 1784

On September 19, 1784 the Robert brothers (Anne-Jean Robert and Marie-Noël Robert) plus M. Collin-Hullin flew their hydrogen balloon, La Caroline, on request of Philippe III Alexandre, 1st Prince de Ghistelles for 6 hours 40 minutes, covering 186 km from Paris to Beuvry. La Caroline owed its design to the work of professor Jacques Charles and Jean Baptiste Meusnier and achieved the world's first ever flight over 100 km.[2][3] In the Ville de Beuvry a stone monument was erected to commemorate the 200th anniversary landing of the brothers in La Caroline on September 19, 1784.[4] A celebration ball la ducasse "du Ballon" is now held at the end of every September.[4] The town has been awarded the Croix de guerre twice: after World War I and again, after World War II.

A coal-mining town for about 100 years, the last pit closed in the 1960s.
The town was merged with the nearby city of Béthune at the end of 1993. However, many of the Beuvrygeois voiced their dissatisfaction with the decision at the time, which resulted in the municipal elections of 1995, petitions in 1995 and 1996 and the creation, in October 1996, of a special commission to give an opinion on draft amendments to the territorial limits of the city of Béthune for the re-creation of a separate town of Beuvry. The municipal election in September 1997 led to a de-merger and Beuvry became an independent full-fledged town again in November 1997.

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±%
19627,749—    
19687,907+2.0%
19758,147+3.0%
19828,840+8.5%
19908,744−1.1%
19999,175+4.9%
20049,060−1.3%
20098,856−2.3%
20149,502+7.3%
20159,553+0.5%

Sights
  • The church of St. Martin, dating from the sixteenth century.
  • An old windmill
  • The Prévôté building (once belonging to an abbey)..
  • The sixteenth-century Manor of l'Estracelles.
  • An eighteenth-century chateau.
  • The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery.

International relations

Beuvry is twinned with:

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Federation Aeronautique Internationale, Ballooning Commission, Hall of Fame, Robert Brothers. Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Federal Aviation Administration - F.A.Aviation News, October 2001, Balloon Competitions and Events Around the Globe, Page 15
  4. Ville de Beuvry, Robert brothers monument Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
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