Authie River
Encyclopedia
The Authie is a river
in northern France
whose 103 km course crosses the departement of the Pas-de-Calais and Somme
. Its source is near the village of Coigneux
. It flows through the towns of Doullens
, Auxi-le-Château
, Nempont-Saint-Firmin
and Nampont
, finally flowing out into the Channel
near Berck
.
Its regular course has attracted mankind for many centuries, developing an agricultural environment that is still dominant today. The valley of the Authie, with many towns, villages, abbeys and chateaux, holds a rich architectural heritage alongside the banks of the river, while the river mouth forms a sizeable bay between Fort-Mahon-Plage
and Berck
, typical of Picardy estuaries. The area is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna.
word atur meaning river.
Many waterways’ names, such as the Adour
, are a corruption of the Celtic term alt meaning deep and that could refer to the steep-sided bed of the river.
Another suggestion stems from the Latin
word attegia designating groups of fishermen and lumberjacks living by any river.
.
In the context of an oceanic/pluvial system, the Authie has a uniform and comparatively sustained outflow of 10.8 m3/s at its outlet..
The river flow is affected by the oceanic climate, characterized by an average annual temperature of 10 °C (50 °F), very few days of frost, comparatively high rainfall between 800 and 900 mm (31.5 and 35.4 in) per year except near the coast estuary where rainfall is less than 650 mm (25.6 in) per year.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
whose 103 km course crosses the departement of the Pas-de-Calais and Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
. Its source is near the village of Coigneux
Coigneux
Coigneux is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Coigneux is situated on the D176 road, some northeast of Amiens. The source of the Authie river is found here.-Population:-External links:*...
. It flows through the towns of Doullens
Doullens
Doullens is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.Its inhabitants are called Doullennais and Doullennaises.-Geography:...
, Auxi-le-Château
Auxi-le-Château
Auxi-le-Château is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:A farming town located 28 miles northwest of Arras at the junction of the D938, D933 and D941 roads. The Authie river flows through the town, which once divided the commune into two parts, one in the...
, Nempont-Saint-Firmin
Nempont-Saint-Firmin
Nempont-Saint-Firmin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Nempont-Saint-Firmin is situated in the valley of the Authie river, the border with the department of the Somme, some 8 miles south of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the N1...
and Nampont
Nampont
Nampont is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Nampont is situated on the banks of the Authie river, at the junction of the N1 and D12 roads and on the border of the departments of the Somme and the Pas-de-Calais.-Population:-Places and monuments:The ‘Maison...
, finally flowing out into the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
near Berck
Berck
Berck, sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France and lies within the Marquenterre regional park, an ornithological nature reserve...
.
Its regular course has attracted mankind for many centuries, developing an agricultural environment that is still dominant today. The valley of the Authie, with many towns, villages, abbeys and chateaux, holds a rich architectural heritage alongside the banks of the river, while the river mouth forms a sizeable bay between Fort-Mahon-Plage
Fort-Mahon-Plage
Fort-Mahon-Plage is a commune in the Somme department in Picardy in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the coast of the English Channel and endowed with a sandy beach and massive sand dunes, Fort-Mahon-Plage attracts many tourists, especially during the summer and at the weekends...
and Berck
Berck
Berck, sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France and lies within the Marquenterre regional park, an ornithological nature reserve...
, typical of Picardy estuaries. The area is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna.
Etymology
The origin of the name Authie has not been established with any certainty. A possibility is the pre-CelticCeltic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
word atur meaning river.
Many waterways’ names, such as the Adour
Adour
The Adour is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High-Bigorre , at the Col du Tourmalet, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost as the Adour du Tourmalet. At its final stretch, i.e...
, are a corruption of the Celtic term alt meaning deep and that could refer to the steep-sided bed of the river.
Another suggestion stems from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word attegia designating groups of fishermen and lumberjacks living by any river.
.
Geography
Hydrology
The river flow is affected by the oceanic climate, characterized by an average annual temperature of 10 °C (50 °F), very few days of frost, comparatively high rainfall between 800 and 900 mm (31.5 and 35.4 in) per year except near the coast estuary where rainfall is less than 650 mm (25.6 in) per year.
Departements and communes traversed
- Pas-de-Calais (62) : Beauvoir-WavansBeauvoir-WavansBeauvoir-Wavans is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A village located 33 miles southwest of Arras at the junction of the D117 with the D938 road.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, Auxi-le-ChâteauAuxi-le-ChâteauAuxi-le-Château is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:A farming town located 28 miles northwest of Arras at the junction of the D938, D933 and D941 roads. The Authie river flows through the town, which once divided the commune into two parts, one in the...
, LabroyeLabroyeLabroye is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Labroye is situated in a hillside environment in the valley of the river Authie, which flows through the village...
, GroffliersGroffliersGroffliers is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A village situated on the coast at the bay of the Authie, some 8 miles southwest of Montreuil-sur-Mer on the D940 road. It was hit by a tidal wave in 1745.-Population:-References:*...
, , Nempont-Saint-FirminNempont-Saint-FirminNempont-Saint-Firmin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Nempont-Saint-Firmin is situated in the valley of the Authie river, the border with the department of the Somme, some 8 miles south of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the N1...
and BerckBerckBerck, sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France and lies within the Marquenterre regional park, an ornithological nature reserve...
. - SommeSommeSomme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
(80): CoigneuxCoigneuxCoigneux is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Coigneux is situated on the D176 road, some northeast of Amiens. The source of the Authie river is found here.-Population:-External links:*...
, AuthieAuthie, SommeAuthie is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France....
, DoullensDoullensDoullens is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.Its inhabitants are called Doullennais and Doullennaises.-Geography:...
, Hem-HardinvalHem-HardinvalHem-Hardinval is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D925 and D128 junction, some northeast of Amiens by the banks of the Authie river, the département border with the Pas-de-Calais.....
, BoufflersBoufflersBoufflers is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Boufflers is situated on the D224 road, on the banks of the river Authie, the border with the Pas-de-Calais, some northeast of Abbeville.-Population:...
, Dompierre-sur-AuthieDompierre-sur-AuthieDompierre-sur-Authie is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is slowly depopulating like most of the countryside towns of this region, with the last shop and last hairdresser in the village having closed in the 1990s...
, ArgoulesArgoulesArgoules is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated north of Abbeville on the D192, on the banks of the Authie River.-Population:-Places and monuments:...
, NampontNampontNampont is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Nampont is situated on the banks of the Authie river, at the junction of the N1 and D12 roads and on the border of the departments of the Somme and the Pas-de-Calais.-Population:-Places and monuments:The ‘Maison...
, QuendQuendQuend is a commune in the Somme department in Picardy in northern France. The inhabitants are known as Quennois.-Geography:Quend is situated between the estuaries of the Somme and the Authie, with the D940 connecting to the A16 motorway...
and Fort-Mahon-PlageFort-Mahon-PlageFort-Mahon-Plage is a commune in the Somme department in Picardy in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the coast of the English Channel and endowed with a sandy beach and massive sand dunes, Fort-Mahon-Plage attracts many tourists, especially during the summer and at the weekends...
.