Courcelles-lès-Lens (, literally ''Courcelles near
Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'' ...
''; pcd, Courchelle-lès-Linse) 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 ...
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. The ...
region of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
coalmining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron fro ...
commune, now a light industrial and farming town, situated some east of
Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'' ...
, on the D160 road, sandwiched by the N43 and the
A21 autoroute
The A21 autoroute is a toll free highway in north western France it is also known as the ''Rocade Minière''. It is long.
Junctions
Completed
In construction
Upgrade of N455 between Flers-en-Escrebieux and Pecquencourt which is the northe ...
. The canalized river
Deûle
The Deûle (; nl, Deule) is a river of northern France which is channeled for the main part of its course (from Lens to Lille). The upstream part is still partly free-flowing and is known as the Souchez. The Deûle flows into the Lys (right ban ...
forms the north-eastern border of the commune.
Population
Places of interest
* The church of St.Vaast, rebuilt, as was much of the town, after the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
.
* "La gare d'eau", built in the early 20th century, it could host more than 200 riverboats.
* The "Saint-Brayou" stone.
* A memorial dedicated to the coal-workers who died during the town's mining disasters.
* The town's old windmill which was renovated during the 00's.
Notable residents
* Adulphe Delegorgue (1814-1850)
He was a hunter and naturalist born in Courcelles-lès-Lens 13 November 1814. He was the son of Adulphe Delegorgue, farmer and former mayor of Courcelles-lès-Lens. He became a sailor at the age of 16. He started his first expedition in Africa at the age of 23, and took part in the improvement of Paris' and Douai's Natural History Museum collection.
He died of disease during his fourth expedition. He wrote "Voyage dans l'Afrique Australe" published in 1847 and gave his name to several animal species.
The secondary school of Courcelles-lès-lens is named after him.