Helfaut

French commune
name= Helfaut
region=
departement=
arrondissement=
canton= Arques
insee=62423
cp=62570
maire=Brigitte Leblond
mandat=2008-2014
intercomm=Communauté d'agglomération de Saint-Omer
longitude=2.2438888
latitude=50.698333
alt moy=92 m
alt mini=23 m
alt maxi=95 m
hectares=892
km²=8.92
sans=1693
date-sans=1999
dens=189
date-dens=1999

Helfaut is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais "département" in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.

Geography

A large village situated 4 miles (6km) south of Saint-Omer, at the D195 and D198 crossroads.It is located on a geological formation called the "plateau d'Helfaut", which separates the Aa valley to the north from the Lys valley, to the south. The commune is home to a unique geological heritage, resulting in an unusual landscape. The sides of the old quarries alongside the plateau display many geological strata. The quarries of Heuringhem and Blendecques have collapsed as a result of soil creep. The commune gave its name to 'Dilluvium d’Helfaut', a flint and clay formation rare in France and Europe. The commune is home to many rare and protected species in a heathland landscape, which is unusual for northern France and justified the creation of a nature reserve (Les Landes d'Helfaut).

Population

History

The village was subject to much damage during World War II, as it was here that the Germans sited La coupole, an underground bunker, housing a huge concrete dome built by the Nazis between 1943 and 1944. Initially this bunker was to serve as a base to launch V2 rockets, but it never entered service because of the many bombing raids by the Allies. The Dome has been transformed into a museum. [ [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/documentation/memoire/LISTES/bases/france-dpt.htm Bases de données Ministère de la culture] ]

Places of interest

* The church of St.Fuscien and St.Victoric, dating from the 13th century.
* The church at Bilques.
* La Coupole : Second World War museum and visitor’s centre
* The monument known as the ‘Helfaut column’. See fr

See also

* Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

Notes

*"This article is based on the equivalent article from the French Wikipedia, consulted on May 14th 2008."

External links

* [http://www.recensement.insee.fr/RP99/rp99/co_navigation.co_page?nivgeo=C&codgeo=62423&theme=ALL&typeprod=ALL&lang=FR&quelcas=LISTE Helfaut on the Insee website] fr
* [http://www.quid.fr/communes.html?mode=detail&id=26913&req=Helfaut Helfaut on the Quid website] fr