Country France Department Pas-de-Calais Intercommunality Terre des deux caps Area 5.72 km² Arrondissement Boulogne-sur-Mer | Region Hauts-de-France Canton Marquise Population (2009) 714 Local time Wednesday 7:38 PM | |
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Weather 8°C, Wind W at 14 km/h, 94% Humidity | ||
Audresselles (Dutch: Ouderzelle, English: St. John) is a commune south of Cape Gris Nez in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.
Contents
- Map of 62164 Audresselles France
- History
- Sights
- Beach and dune fauna
- Birds
- Marine mammals
- Flora
- Personalities
- Living
- References
Map of 62164 Audresselles, France
The commune covers about 2,000 acres (809.4 ha) of cultivated lands, two beaches, and seashore cliffs. In the 12th century it was known as Oderzelle.
History
Between the end of English occupation in 1558 and the middle of the 17th century, Audresselles seigneury included Haringzelle hamlet; today, this is now a forest hiding the former German artillery batteries of Audinghen. This seigneury was owned by the Acary family, which gave some admirals to the French fleet and from whom most of the borough fishermen are descended.
An old fishers village, Audresselles has kept its characteristic features: its long houses with a colored strip along the lower part of the walls, in the village center, and somme villas of the "Belle Époque" in front of the English Channel. Professional fishing families still live in Audresselles, and one of them uses the village sand beach to land its ship. The traditional flobarts (little trunkated drakkars) are still used by the holiday yachtsmen.
Sights
Beach and dune fauna
The town has given its name to the blue European lobster.
Birds
Gulls, cormorants, jackdaws, loons, mallards, bitterns, sandpipers, snipes, oystercatchers, herons, curlews, egrets, guillemots, peregrine falcons, swans, and geese.
Marine mammals
Some black-headed seals have settled down in the creeks behind the village since July 2006 and dislike to be disturbed, following the swimmers to the beach. Also present are Orcas (killer whales), pilot whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Flora
Plants of this region are those that can resist the salt-laden southwesterly wind. Species include Lyciet, privet, spindle-tree, eleagnus, speedwell, marram grass and Armeria maritima.