Anchamps () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Ardennes department in the

Grand Est Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administra ...

region of northern

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 area ...

Geography

Anchamps is located some 15 km south of Fumay and 12 km east of

Rocroi Rocroi () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. The central area is a notable surviving example of a bastion fort. Population History Rocroi was fortified by Francis I of France and expanded by Henry II of France. Bec ...

on the left bank of the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

just east of the Orzy neighbourhood of

Revin Revin () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region in northern France. Revin is situated on the banks of the Meuse. The Revin Pumped Storage Power Plant is near Revin. Population Personalities Yazid Mansouri, the Al ...

. Road access to the town is by a local road from Revin which follows the bank of the Meuse and a road bridge over the Meuse connects to the D1 road. The village is served by the

TER Ter or TER may refer to: Places * River Ter, in Essex, England * Ter (river), in Catalonia * Ter (department), a region in France * Torre (river), (Slovene: ''Ter''), a river in Italy * Ter, Ljubno, a settlement in the Municipality of Ljubno ob ...

train from

Givet Givet () (german: Gibet Walloon: ''Djivet'') is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France surrounded on three sides by the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont. It ...

Charleville-Mézières or ''Carolomacérienne'' , image flag=Flag of Charleville Mezieres.svg Charleville-Mézières () is a commune of northern France, capital of the Ardennes department, Grand Est. Charleville-Mézières is located on the banks of the river Meuse. ...

at a rate of 4 to 5 trains per day. The railway also follows the Meuse crossing over on the railway viaduct on the east side of the commune. The Meuse river forms the border of the commune on the west, north, and east sides.Google Maps
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Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

*Angehan (1400) *Engehan (1459) *Auchamp (1793) *Amchamps (1801) According to JP Lépine, Anchamps was once written ''Enjean'' and ''Enchamp''. It probably derives from ''anacum'': ''an'' meaning "river" and ''acum'' meaning "close" – i.e. "close to the river". Anchamps - Pont sur la Meuse

Anchamps - Laifour - Viaduc ferroviaire sur la Meuse

History

In 1509 the village had only 12

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are pr ...

, in 1728 – 18, and in 1846–59 fires or 235 inhabitants. The origin of the village is unknown: it is as old as the village of Deville which has long depended on the Barony of Montcornet. The inhabitants of Anchamps, like all communes from the Barony of Montcornet had to pay annual manorial dues which was two hens for each citizen; 18 deniers for the rights of the people; for the use of the river water for crushing (there used to be a crushing mill) 3

livres The (; ; abbreviation: ₶.) was one of numerous currencies used in medieval France, and a unit of account (i.e., a monetary unit used in accounting) used in Early Modern France. The 1262 monetary reform established the as 20 , or 80.88 gr ...

and 5 sols; 2 Paris sols and 6 eels for fishing the Meuse; 2 sols and 6 deniers per swathe of meadow; and 9 deniers per

arpent An arpent (, sometimes called arpen) is a unit of length and a unit of area. It is a pre- metric French unit based on the Roman ''actus''. It is used in Quebec, some areas of the United States that were part of French Louisiana, and in Maur ...

of occupied land. Following a charter dated 3 August and 27 July 1546, Charles de Croy gave the inhabitants of this village, and the villages of Deville, Laifour Secheval, and Mazures an extensive wood called Wèbes. The Lordship of Anchamps was sold to César Bernier in 1578 and was reunited with the County of Lonny in 1663 with all manorial rights attached. On the sale and acquisition of the marquisate by the Duke of Meillaraie in 1674, the rights granted to the residents by Charles de Croy were retained and that purchaser even provided them forever by deed of 22 September 1679 with the responsibility to pay him 15 sols per arpent annually. The last lord of this place was Louis-Marie-Charles, the Viscount of Salse, a knight and also Lord of Laifour. The village church dates from 1766.

Administration

List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France
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Population

Sites and Monuments

;Site of the Pierre Roland: This site consists of two blocks of

diorite Diorite ( ) is an intrusive igneous rock formed by the slow cooling underground of magma (molten rock) that has a moderate content of silica and a relatively low content of alkali metals. It is intermediate in composition between low-sili ...

. The first is specifically called ''Pierre Roland'' and is standing with the shape of an irregular pyramid. It rises to 1.4 m above ground and is probably buried 50 cm with, remarkably, 4 edges pointing to the sunrises and sunsets. The other is lying 10 m to the northwest. Its dimensions: 1.77 x 0.67 x 0.37 m. These stones are said to have been thrown by Satan from three rocks called the Ladies of Meuse at the famous Charlemagne's nephew, Roland, to force him to retreat. One of the three projectiles rolled into the Meuse, the other two landed at the feet of the hero.