ARQUES-LA-BATAILLE

arques-la-bataille, a village of france, in the department of seine-inferieure, 4 m. s.e. of dieppe by the western railway. pop. (1906) 1250. arques is situated near the confluence of the rivers varenne and bethune; the forest of arques stretches to the north-east. the interest of the place centres in the castle dominating the town, which was built in the 11th century by william of arques; his nephew, william the conqueror, regarding it as a menace to his own power, besieged and occupied it. after frequently changing hands, it came into the possession of the english, who were expelled in 1449 after an occupation of thirty years. in 1589 its cannon decided the battle of arques in favour of henry iv. since 1869 the castle has been state property. the first line of fortification was the work of francis i.; the second line and the donjon date back to the 11th century. the church of arques, a building of the 16th century, preserves a fine stone rood screen, statuary, stained glass and other relics of the renaissance period.