Helfaut

Commune

The town hall and schools of Helfaut

Coat of arms

Helfaut

Location within Hauts-de-France region

Helfaut

Coordinates: 50°41′54″N 2°14′38″E / 50.6983°N 2.2439°ECoordinates: 50°41′54″N 2°14′38″E / 50.6983°N 2.2439°E

Country

Government

• Mayor (2008–2014)

Brigitte Leblond

Area¹

8.92 km² (3.44 sq mi)

Population (2006)²

1,744

• Density

200/km² (510/sq mi)

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

INSEE/Postal code

62423 /62570

Elevation

23–95 m (75–312 ft)
(avg. 92 m or 302 ft)

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

²Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Helfaut is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.

A large village situated 4 miles (6 km) south of Saint-Omer, at the D195 and D198 crossroads. It is located on a geological formation called the "plateau d'Helfaut", which separates the Aa valley to the north from the Lys valley, to the south. The commune is home to a unique geological heritage, resulting in an unusual landscape. The sides of the old quarries alongside the plateau display many geological strata. The quarries of Heuringhem and Blendecques have collapsed as a result of soil creep. The commune gave its name to 'Dilluvium d’Helfaut', a flint and clay formation rare in France and Europe. The commune is home to many rare and protected species in a heathland landscape, which is unusual for northern France and justified the creation of a nature reserve (Les Landes d'Helfaut).

The inhabitants are called Helfalois.

The village was subject to much damage during World War II, as it was here that the Germans sited La coupole, an underground bunker, housing a huge concrete dome built by the Nazis between 1943 and 1944. Initially this bunker was to serve as a base to launch V2 rockets, but it never entered service because of the many bombing raids by the Allies. The Dome has been transformed into a museum.

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Wikipedia