Auchel

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox French commune

Auchel ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; Template:Langx) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.

GeographyEdit

An ex-mining town, nowadays a light industrial & farming commune, situated Template:Convert southwest of Béthune and Template:Convert southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D183 and the D183E roads.

HistoryEdit

Following the discovery of coal deposits in the area in 1851, the town grew as the demand for coal increased in France. This old mining town had close to 15,000 inhabitants in the 1950s.
The coal recession in the late 1960s lead to a constant decline in population, despite the efforts of the municipality to attract and keep people here during and after the recession.

PopulationEdit

The inhabitants are called Auchellois. Template:Historical populations

SightsEdit

The church of St. Martin, dating from the sixteenth century.
A museum about coal mining.

International relationsEdit

Auchel is twinned with:

Template:Flagicon West Malling, in the county of Kent, England.
Template:Flagicon Iserlohn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Notable peopleEdit

Auchel is the birthplace of:

Xavier Beauvois, actor, director and screenwriter.
Angela Behelle, writer
Pierre Laigle, football player
Augustin Lesage, French spiritualist artist. Lesage is one of the most fascinating figures associated with Art Brut
Stéphane Lecocq, professional footballer
Afida Turner, singer, songwriter, actress, and media personality
Pierre Waché, Formula One engineer and technical director for Red Bull Racing
François Duhamel professional footballer