Conchil-le-Temple (; ) is a commune in the

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 ...

department in the Hauts-de-France

region of France France is Administrative divisions of France, divided into eighteen administrative regions (, singular ), of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France (in Europe), while the other five are Overseas departments and regions of France, ove ...

Geography

A large village situated some 8 miles (17 km) southwest of

Montreuil-sur-Mer Montreuil-sur-Mer (; or ; ), Montreuil-on-the-Sea, is a subprefecture in the Pas-de-Calais Department in northern France. Though commonly called by this name since at least the twelfth century, it was legally known as Montreuil until 31 Decemb ...

on the D940E1 and D143 road junction. A rural, wooded area featuring many lakes and nature trails to walk and ride.

History

In 845 it was known as Concilium, in 1406 as Conchy-les-Waben and by 1608 as Conchie. Conchil was listed among the possessions of the abbey of Saint Riquier in the 9th century. A house known as ’’’Temple-lez-Waben’’’ was a commandery of the Templars. In 1307, two Templars from here (Raoul Monteswis and Eudes of Écuires) were captured and burnt at the stake at nearby Montreuil.

The Templar House of Temple-lès-Waben

A site historically referred to as ''Temple-lès-Waben'' was located in the area known as ''la Commanderie'', a hamlet within the modern commune of Conchil-le-Temple. This Templar establishment was strategically positioned between two roads—one leading to Waben and the other to Montreuil. Evidence suggests that the Templar house at Waben was already in existence by the early 13th century. A charter dated March 1225–1226 records an agreement between the abbot of Saint-Josse-sur-Mer and the Count of Ponthieu, in which the abbot refers to "our mills at Tigny" and notes that the count would provide men from the community of Waben, explicitly excluding those "banished of the Temple." This mention implies the presence of a Templar community at Waben during that time. Further documentation names Jean de Juvigny as the last known preceptor of the Templar house. He was interrogated in June 1308 and again in April 1310 in Paris, during the suppression of the Knights Templar. Despite his prolonged captivity, he was still identified as wearing the habit of a Templar sergeant brother.

Conchil-le-Temple Archaeological Site

The archaeological site of Conchil-le-Temple, extensively excavated by F. Lemaire in 1995, is a noteworthy example of Roman-era rural architecture constructed entirely from wood and earth. Despite being established shortly after the Roman conquest, the site lacks any stone foundations, even though it was occupied through successive phases for nearly eight centuries. The layout of the site closely resembles that of a Gallo-Roman villa.

Population

References