Poix-de-Picardie

Poix-de-Picardie
270x250px
Poix-de-Picardie
Location within Picardy region Poix-de-Picardie
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardy
Department	Somme
Arrondissement	Amiens
Canton	Poix-de-Picardie
Intercommunality	Sud-Ouest Amiénois
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Jacky Petigny
Area1	11.66 km2 (4.50 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	2,370
• Density	200/km2 (530/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	80630 / 80290
Elevation	94–190 m (308–623 ft) (avg. 106 m or 348 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.

Poix-de-Picardie is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.

Geography

The commune is situated at the junction of the N1 and N29 roads, some 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Amiens, at the bottom of a rather steep-sided valley, confined by Normandy to the south and Picardie to the north. The commune has rail access, linking with the Rouen / Amiens network via the TER.

Population

Population history

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
1470	1775	2172	2267	2191	2285	2370
Starting in 1962: Population without duplicates

Places of interest

• The sixteenth century church of Saint-Denis’ priory. In flamboyant Gothic style, the base of the tower dates from the twelfth century. Before becoming the parish church, it was the chapel of the château.
• Military cemetery. Containing the graves of 149 Second World War Commonwealth aircrew.

File:Poix-de-Picardie 1.jpg

Panoramic view of the commune

Tyrrel family

The Tyrrel, or Tirel family were Lords of Poix from the twelfth to the fifteenth century. The most famous member of this family was Walter Tirel, who killed King William Rufus of England, son of William the Conqueror; whether it was an accident or an assassination has never been established. Walter's grandson Hugh Tyrrel, baron of Castleknock, played a prominent role in the Norman Conquest of Ireland and in the Third Crusade.

• Poix-de-Picardie Portail de l'église Saint-denis.JPG

  Church porch

• POIX-DE-PICARDIE Le cimetière militaire du Commonwelth.JPG

  The military cemetery.

• POIX - Le viaduc détruit.jpg

  The railway viaduct, under repair after destruction during World War I

See also

• Communes of the Somme department

References

• INSEE

External links

• CWGC - Commonwealth War Graves Commission pages (English)
• Tourist Office of Poix (French)
• Fiche Station Verte de Poix-de-Picardie (French)
• Poix-de-Picardie on the Quid website (French)