Méricourt, Pas-de-Calais

Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

(2020–2026) Bernard Baude^[1]Area7.53 km² (2.91 sq mi)Population11,431 • Density1,500/km² (3,900/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal codeElevation31–63 m (102–207 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.

Méricourt (French pronunciation: [meʁikuʁ]) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.^[3]

Geography

Méricourt is a former coal mining town, nowadays a farming and light industrial town, 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Lens, at the junction of the D33, D40 and the D262 roads. The commune is part of the canton of Avion.

History

The history of the region remains marked by the Courrières mine disaster, which left 1,099 dead on 10 March 1906. The communes affected were Méricourt, Billy-Montigny, Noyelles-sous-Lens and Sallaumines.

It was at Méricourt that the memorial to the mining disaster was erected. Since 2006, the memorial has also included an overground pathway retracing the route underground of the survivors who managed to get out of the galleries about three weeks after the collapse and resulting firedamp and dust.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	13,416	—
1975	13,806	+0.41%
1982	13,273	−0.56%
1990	12,330	−0.92%
1999	11,723	−0.56%
2007	12,087	+0.38%
2012	11,751	−0.56%
2017	11,363	−0.67%
Source: INSEE[4]

Places of interest

• The church of St.Martin, rebuilt along with most of the town, after the First World War.
• The church of St. Barbe, dating from the nineteenth century.
• Vestiges of an old chateau.
• The memorials.

See also

• Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References

External links