Ardres (; vls, Aarden, lang; pcd, Arde) is a commune in the
Pas-de-Calais
Pas-de-Calais (, "strait of Calais"; pcd, Pas-Calés; also nl, Nauw van Kales) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of ...
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
Ardres is located 10.1 mi by rail (station is at Pont-d'Ardres, a few km from Ardres) S.S.E. of
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
, with which it is also connected by a
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...
(with limited turning space). It is one of three towns that make up ''Les Trois Pays'', or "Three Countries", the other two being
Guînes
Guînes (; vls, Giezene, lang; pcd, Guinne) is a commune in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. Historically it was spelt ''Guisnes''.
On 7 January 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French pioneer in hydrogen-balloon flight, comple ...
and
Licques
Licques () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.
Geography
A farming village located 24 km south of Calais in the valley of the Hem, at the junction of the D191 and D215 roads. It is a large ...
.
History
Ardes was located next to the
Pale of Calais
The Pale of Calais was a territory in Northern France ruled by the monarchs of England for more than two hundred years from 1347 to 1558. The area, which was taken following the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the subsequent siege of Calais, was ...
, held by the English from 1346 to 1558, and as a result was an important trading and military post. The 1520 meeting between
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
and
Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin on ...
known as the
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of the Cloth of Gold (french: Camp du Drap d'Or, ) was a summit meeting between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France from 7 to 24 June 1520. Held at Balinghem, between Ardres in France and Guînes in the English ...
was held just over the border at the English-controlled town of
Balinghem
Balinghem () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
Geography
A village located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Calais, on the D228 road.
Population
Sights
* The sixteenth-century ...
. The town has been an important market for cattle. In June 1546, it was the location of the Treaty of Ardres, an agreement between Henry and Francis that ended the 1542 to 1546 Anglo-French War.
Population
The inhabitants are called ''Ardrésiens''.
Sights
Major tourist attractions at Ardres include the Chapelle des Carmes and the Eglise Notre Dame de Grâce.
There are also some lakes (created when peat was removed) which provide fishing and sailing.
Personalities
* Jean-Marie Dorsenne (1773–1812), a French military commander of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, was born in Ardres