Pas-de-Calais
The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) 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, with 890, and is the ...
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
Ardres is located 10.1 mi by rail (station is at Pont-d'Ardres, a few kilometers from Ardres) S.S.E. of
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
, 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 ...
(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 (; ; ) 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, completed the first aerial crossi ...
Pale of Calais
The Pale of Calais was a territory in northern France ruled by the monarchs of England from 1347 to 1558. The area, which centred on Calais, was taken following the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the subsequent Siege of Calais (1346–47), Siege o ...
, 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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
and
Francis I of France
Francis I (; ; 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 once removed and father-in-law Louis&nbs ...
known as the
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of the Cloth of Gold (, ) 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 Pale of Calais, it was a ...
was held just over the border at the English-controlled town of Balinghem. The town has been an important market for cattle. In June 1546, it was the location of the
Treaty of Ardres
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
, an agreement between Henry and Francis that ended the 1542-1546 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
Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department
The following is a list of the 887 communes of the Pas-de-Calais department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):