Cassel, Nord

French commune
nomcommune=Cassel
région=Nord-Pas-de-Calais
département=Nord
arrondissement=Dunkirk
canton=Cassel
insee=59135
cp=59670
maire=René Decoots
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=
longitude=2.488333
latitude=50.800556
alt moy=90 m
alt mini=
alt maxi=176 m
hectares=1,265
km²=12.65
sans=2,298
date-sans=1999
dens=182
date-dens=1999

Cassel ( _nl. Kassel) is a town and commune in the Nord department of northern France.

Geography

Cassel stands on Cassel Mount, a prominent hill in the Flanders plain.

History

The Mont de Cassel seems to be a Roman foundation built to serve as the urban centre of the Menapii. Its Latin name was Castellum Menapiorum. Cassel has developed from "castellum" following Germanic phonetic rules. Many Roman roads converged on Cassel and several are easily picked out today from the hill top.

Three major battles have been fought at Cassel: in 1328 involving the army of Philip VI of France. and in 1677, that of Philippe I of Orléans.

During the First World War, Cassel was a headquarters of the British Army from which the northern end of the Western Front was directed. It was visited by leaders from King George V, down.

In World War 2, the second battalion the Gloucestershire Regiment accompanied by the 4th Oxfordshire and Bukinghamshire light infantry held Cassel for three days as part of the defensive shield around Dunkirk whilst the evacuation was in progress (27th May 1940-30th May 1940).