Brimeux
Encyclopedia
Brimeux is a commune
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
.
on the D149 road, in the valley of the river Canche
.
name from the Celtic
for ‘’bridge’’. Over the years, it’s had different spellings such as BRIVAMAGUS, BRIVOMAGUS, BRIMEAUS (in 1153), BRIMODIO and BRIMODIUM (in 1154), BRIMAUS in 1226, BRIMEUL in 1415, BRIMEU by 1499 and finally BRIMEUX, in 1704.
When peat
was extracted at Brimeux, a 5 metre long wooden deck, a tin dish and flakes of flint
were discovered, indicating that Brimeux had been inhabited before the arrival of the Romans
.
Various objects of the Gallo-Roman era were unearthed during the construction of the railway station: coins; weights and the remains of a villa.
The area was ransacked by the invading Normans
in 842.
There are traces of the motte
of the feudal castle owned by the De Brimeu family, seigneurs
of the village.
Built between 1495 and 1524 by the seigneur
, Hugh de Melun, in flamboyant Gothic style. The nave was restored in 1860 by the architect Norman Clovis who gave it the character that we see today. The bell tower once housed 3 bells but now only has the one, the others having been confiscated in 1793
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Brimeux is a village situated some 4 miles (7 km) southeast of Montreuil-sur-MerMontreuil-sur-Mer
Montreuil or Montreuil-sur-Mer is a sub-prefecture in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is located on the Canche river, not far from Étaples...
on the D149 road, in the valley of the river Canche
Canche
The river Canche is one of the rivers that flow from the plateau of the southern Boulonnais and Picardy, into the English Channel. The Somme is the largest example. The basin of the Canche extends to 1,274 square kilometres and lies in the southern end of the département of Pas-de-Calais...
.
History
The village name first appears in 1042 in a royal charter and was then written BRIVERMACUM, a LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name from the Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
for ‘’bridge’’. Over the years, it’s had different spellings such as BRIVAMAGUS, BRIVOMAGUS, BRIMEAUS (in 1153), BRIMODIO and BRIMODIUM (in 1154), BRIMAUS in 1226, BRIMEUL in 1415, BRIMEU by 1499 and finally BRIMEUX, in 1704.
When peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
was extracted at Brimeux, a 5 metre long wooden deck, a tin dish and flakes of flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
were discovered, indicating that Brimeux had been inhabited before the arrival of the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
Various objects of the Gallo-Roman era were unearthed during the construction of the railway station: coins; weights and the remains of a villa.
The area was ransacked by the invading Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in 842.
There are traces of the motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
of the feudal castle owned by the De Brimeu family, seigneurs
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
of the village.
Sites and monuments
- The church.
Built between 1495 and 1524 by the seigneur
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
, Hugh de Melun, in flamboyant Gothic style. The nave was restored in 1860 by the architect Norman Clovis who gave it the character that we see today. The bell tower once housed 3 bells but now only has the one, the others having been confiscated in 1793
- The war memorial. It was erected in 1920.