Gamaches

Gamaches
Gamaches
Location within Picardy region Gamaches
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardy
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Abbeville
Canton	Gamaches
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Jacques Pecquery
Area1	9.92 km2 (3.83 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	2,992
• Density	300/km2 (780/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	80373 / 80220
Elevation	19–126 m (62–413 ft) (avg. 32 m or 105 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.

Gamaches is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.

Geography

Gamaches is situated on the D1015, on the banks of the Bresle River, the border with Seine-Maritime, some 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Abbeville.
Huge lakes to the west of the town are a paradise for naturalists, anglers and water sports enthusiasts.

History

• 1471 Louis XI and the Burgundians wage war in and around the town. A year or so later, Charles the Bold ravaged Picardy in the continuing battle with Burgundy. The plague decimated not only the troops but also the local populace.
• Gamache has, for a long time, been linked with the manufacture of glass.

Population

Historical population of Gamaches

Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Population	3194	3216	3467	3270	3099	2949	2992
From the year 1962 on: No double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.

Places of interest

• The war memorial
• The thirteenth century church of Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul, with its flamboyant gothic tower, is the result of successive architectural influences.
• The old railway line, opened in 1872 and closed in 1993

• The lakes

See also

• Communes of the Somme department

References

• INSEE

External links

• War memorial (French)
• Agence Régionale du Patrimoine de Picardie (French)
• S.A.Saint-Martin Glass Bottle factory (French)