Ascq (; ) is a former commune on the

Marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

river in the Nord department in northern

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 ...

, seven kilometers from

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. Agricultural village until the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

, the former independent commune merged with others to become a district of the ''new town'' planned community of

Villeneuve-d'Ascq Villeneuve-d'Ascq (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. With more than 60,000 inhabitants and 50,000 students, it is one of the main cities of the Métro ...

since 1970. The operatic bass Louis-Henri Obin (1820–1895) was born in Ascq. Ascq is known for the Ascq massacre of 1 April 1944, where the Nazis assaulted the inhabitants and massacred 86 innocent men. The village was decorated with the

Croix de guerre 1939–1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort d ...

and the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. The Gare d'Ascq (railway station) is served by trains from Lille to

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

(Belgium) and to

Orchies Orchies (; ) is a commune in the department of Nord in the Hauts-de-France region of French Flanders, northern France. Its inhabitants are called Orchésiens. Orchies is the biggest town of the Pévèle. It is especially known for its ''Mus� ...

Heraldry

Architecture and points of interest

Ascq main monuments are Saint-Pierre-en-Antioche Church (19th century), based on a building of 15th century, gare d'Ascq (19th century) railway station, the post office, the town hall (20th century) and the Château Claeys (20th century). Image:Jielbeaumadier ascq eglise.jpg, Saint-Pierre-en-Antioche Church Image:Jielbeaumadier_ascq_place_gare_2008.jpg, Post office and railway station square Image:Jielbeaumadier_claeys_jardin_2006.jpg, Château Claeys Image:Jielbeaumadier_mairie_ascq_2005.jpg, Ascq town hall Numerous places are commemorating the world wars : Tertre des massacrés monument, mémorial Ascq 1944 museum, Ascq Communal Cemetery which shelters British and Commonwealth war graves as well as the bodies of the victims of Ascq massacre in 1944, a monument on Saint-Pierre-en-Antioche Church square and some street names, such as 'Rue des Martyrs'. Image:Jielbeaumadier tertre des massacres 2006.jpg, Tertre des massacrés Image:Jielbeaumadier memorial ascq 2006.jpg, Mémorial Ascq 1944 Image:Tombes massacre ascq 2009 lb.jpg, Ascq massacre victims graves, Ascq Communal Cemetery Image:Tombes commonwealth ascq 2009 lb.jpg, British and Commonwealth war graves, Ascq Communal Cemetery Other notable buildings are Ascq

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

(20th century) which can be perceived very far away,

Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he s ...

collège, the old distillery with its brick chimney, chocolate factory Bouquet d'Or, artisanal brewery Moulins d'Ascq, the old

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

s. Many houses have a remarkable architectural style, such as 1930 seaside style houses in Kléber street. Image:Jielbeaumadier chateau deau ascq 2006.jpg, Ascq water tower Image:Minoterie rue des fusilles ascq 2006.jpg, Gristmill in Fusillés street In the middle of the 20th century, Ascq had a cinéma, 'Le Rex', located salle Potié, church square.''Le Rex de Villeneuve-d'Ascq'', http://cinemasdunord.blogspot.com/2009/08/le-rex-de-villeneuve-dascq.html

Transportation

* Ascq is served by a rail network of three lines,

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

Tournai Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by ...

and

of the

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...

and SNCB through the Gare d'Ascq railway station. * The quarter is served by Transpole with the following bus lines: 43, 47, 305, 314, 330, 331, and 332.

References

{{authority control Villeneuve-d'Ascq Former communes of Nord (French department)

Heraldry

Architecture and points of interest

Transportation

See also

References