Watten, Nord

Watten
Commune
Coat of arms
Watten in the arrondissement of Dunkirk
Coordinates: 50°50′01″N 2°12′47″E / 50.8336°N 2.213°E / 50.8336; 2.213Coordinates: 50°50′01″N 2°12′47″E / 50.8336°N 2.213°E / 50.8336; 2.213
Country	France
Region	Hauts-de-France
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Dunkerque
Canton	Wormhout
Intercommunality	CC Hauts de Flandre
Government
• Mayor (2014-2020)	Daniel Deschodt
Area1	7.32 km2 (2.83 sq mi)
Population (2014)2	2,536
• Density	350/km2 (900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	59647 /59143
Elevation	1–73 m (3.3–239.5 ft) (avg. 55 m or 180 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Watten (Dutch: Waden, meaning "ford" as in "river-crossing") is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.

Population (2006): 2,724 . Its inhabitants are called "Wattenais".

Geography

Watten is located at the limit of the French Flanders historical county. However, the local Dutch dialect (French Flemish) is virtually extinct. The neighbouring villages are Wattendam (commune of Holque), Millam, Serques, Éperlecques and Wulverdinghe.

While Watten belongs to the Nord département, it is bordering the Pas-de-Calais département. The village is crossed by the rivers Aa and Colme.

Politics

Heraldry

The arms of Watten are blazoned : Per fess argent and gules, 3 pales counterchanged.

Sights

The village is famous for its old ruined abbey, and for its mill, which was restored in the 1990s. These two buildings are located on the "Mountain of Watten" (72 Meters high). Its church dates from the thirteenth century.

See also

• Communes of the Nord department

References

• INSEE commune file
• Watten (in English)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Watten.