Bresle (river)
| The Bresle | |
|---|---|
The Bresle at Bouvaincourt-sur-Bresle
|
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| Country | France |
| Basin features | |
| Main source |
Abancourt, Oise 280 m (920 ft) |
| River mouth |
English Channel 50°3′46″N 1°22′16″E / 50.06278°N 1.37111°ECoordinates: 50°3′46″N 1°22′16″E / 50.06278°N 1.37111°E |
| Basin size | 748 km2 (289 sq mi) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 72 km (45 mi) |
| Discharge |
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The Bresle is a river in the northwest of France that flows into the English Channel at Le Tréport. It crosses the departements of Oise, Somme and Seine-Maritime.
For a long time, the course of the Bresle (especially the lower part) has had the role of a natural national frontier, serving as the boundary between powerful and often antagonistic political entities. It separated the Roman provinces of Belgian Gaul from Lyonnais Gaul, the Talou county (Dieppe) and the Vimeu during the Merovingian period, the county of Ponthieu, France and the Duchy of Normandy from the 10th century and also the taxation areas of Rouen and Amiens under the Ancien Régime.
Today, the half-Norman, half-Picardy verdant, lake-filled valley carries on its traditional quality glass industry that started in the Middle Ages. The presence of numerous small enterprises dotted around the small towns and villages along its banks hasn’t compromised the rich environment, which has a wide variety of flora and fauna that thrive. The quality of the water of the Bresle is such that salmon and sea-trout can be found in great number.
In his Géographie, Ptolemy called it the Phroudis. Until the 13th century, various other names were given to the river: Auvae fluvium, Aucia fluvium, Auga in the 10th century and Ou in the 11th century. When the Normans arrived, they called it the Brisela. It has been subsequently noted in various documents as Bresla, Brella, Breselle, Briselle, Brisele, Brisella before the definitive name was agreed at the end of the 17th century.
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Wikipedia