Foncquevillers | |
|---|---|
 The church of Foncquevillers | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Foncquevillers  | |
  Foncquevillers  Foncquevillers | |
| Coordinates: 50°08′55″N 2°37′54″E / 50.1486°N 2.6317°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Pas-de-Calais |
| Arrondissement | Arras |
| Canton | Avesnes-le-Comte |
| Intercommunality | CC Sud-Artois |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Christophe Lagniez[1] |
| Area 1 | 9.3 km2 (3.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 399 |
| • Density | 43/km2 (110/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 62341 /62111 |
| Elevation | 138–162 m (453–531 ft) (avg. 150 m or 490 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Foncquevillers (French pronunciation: [fɔ̃kvile]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.[3]
A farming village situated 12 miles (19 km) south of Arras, at the junction of the D3, D6 and the D28 roads.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 404 | — |
| 1975 | 388 | −0.58% |
| 1982 | 389 | +0.04% |
| 1990 | 383 | −0.19% |
| 1999 | 466 | +2.20% |
| 2007 | 473 | +0.19% |
| 2012 | 465 | −0.34% |
| 2017 | 435 | −1.32% |
| Source: INSEE[4] | ||
Foncquevillers was on the Allied front line during almost all of the period of hostilities between 1914 and 1918 and was almost destroyed as a result. The neighbouring village of Gommecourt to the east, in German hands, was the subject of an assault starting from Foncquevillers on 1 July 1916 which formed the northernmost part of what is known in Britain as the Battle of the Somme.
British troops taking part in that attack came from the 46th (North Midland) Division, and many are buried in the Foncquevillers Military Cemetery. After the war Foncquevillers established a friendship with the English East Midlands cities of Derby and Nottingham which continues today. The Hotel de Ville in Foncquevillers has a plaque dedicated to "Derby, notre marraine" - "to Derby, our Godmother".
