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Commune of Cassel |
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| Location | |
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Department | Nord |
| Arrondissement | Dunkirk |
| Canton | Cassel |
| Mayor | René Decoots (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 90 m (avg.) |
| Land area¹ | 12.65 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
2,298 |
| - Density | 182/km² (1999) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 59135/ 59670 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Cassel (Dutch: Kassel) is a town and commune in the Nord department of northern France.
Geography
Cassel stands on Cassel Mount, a prominent hill in the Flanders plain.
History
The Mont de Cassel seems to be a Roman foundation built to serve as the urban centre of the Menapii. Its Latin name was Castellum Menapiorum. Cassel has developed from castellum following Germanic phonetic rules. Many Roman roads converged on Cassel and several are easily picked out today from the hill top.
Three major battles have been fought at Cassel: in 1328 involving the army of Philip VI of France. and in 1677, that of Philippe I of Orléans.
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During the First World War, Cassel was a headquarters of the British Army from which the northern end of the Western Front was directed. It was visited by leaders from King George V, down.
In World War 2, the second battalion the Gloucestershire Regiment accompanied by the 4th Oxfordshire and Bukinghamshire light infantry held Cassel for three days as part of the defensive shield around Dunkirk whilst the evacuation was in progress (27th May 1940-30th May 1940).
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