Beaufour-Druval () 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

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norm ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

of north-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Beaufourquais-Druvalais'' or ''Beaufourquaises-Druvalaises''.

Geography

Beaufour-Druval is located some 25 km east by north-east of

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Cabourg Cabourg (; nrf, Cabouorg) is a commune in the Calvados department, region of Normandy, France. Cabourg is on the coast of the English Channel, at the mouth of the river Dives. The back country is a plain, favourable to the culture of cereal. Th ...

. Access to the commune is by the D287 road from Angerville in the north-west, the D276 from Cresseveuille in the north which continues south-east to

Auvillars Auvillars () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Auvillargeois'' or ''Auvillargeoises''. Geography Auvillars is located some 14 km north-west ...

, and the D146 from

Beuvron-en-Auge Beuvron-en-Auge (, literally ''Beuvron in Auge'') is a commune in the Calvados department and Normandy region of north-western France. Beuvron is affiliated to Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("the most beautiful villages of France"), an inde ...

in the south-west which continues to join the D45 in the north-east. The D85 from Saint-Léger-Dubosq in the west to Rumesnil in the south forms part of the south-western border of the commune. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Saint-Aubin-Lebizay and La Ruelle. The commune is entirely farmland. The ''Ruisseau de Druval'' forms the south-eastern border of the commune as it flows south-west to join the ''Doigt'' west of Rumesnil. Several unnamed tributaries rise in the commune and flow south-east to join the Ruisseau de Druval.

Toponymy

''Beaufour'' was attested in its Romanesque form ''Belfou'' in 1040 and 1066 then badly Latinized to ''Bellafagus'' in 1195.Ernest Nègre
''General Toponymy of France''
Librairie Droz, 1990, Vol II, 676 pages, p. 1236, . The name has no relationship with "un four" as shown in the old forms but comes from the

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

tree, which was formerly called ''fou'' in the west. ''Druval'' comes from ''Drudo'' plus the Latin suffix ''vallem''. Beaufour appears as ''Beaufou'' on the 1750

Cassini Map The Cassini Map or Academy's Map is the first topographic and geometric map made of the Kingdom of France as a whole. It was compiled by the Cassini family, mainly César-François Cassini (Cassini III) and his son Jean-Dominique Cassini (Ca ...

and the same on the 1790 version. Druval appears as ''Druval'' on the 1750

and the same on the 1790 version.

History

The commune was created in 1972 from the merger of ''Beaufour'', ''Druval'', and ''Saint-Aubin-Lebizay''. The commune is probably the birthplace of

William de Beaufeu William de Beaufeu was a medieval Bishop of Thetford and a major landholder mentioned in the Domesday Book.The Domesday Book, Englands Heritage, Then and Now, Editor: Thomas Hinde, Major Domesday landholders page 338 Life William's land holdings ...

Bishop of Thetford The Bishop of Thetford is an episcopal title which takes its name after the market town of Thetford in Norfolk, England. The title was originally used by the Normans in the 11th century, and is now used by a Church of England suffragan bishop. ...

from 1086 to 1091. It is also the probable birthplace of

Richard de Beaufou Richard de Beaufou (sometimes Richard of Belfou) was a medieval Bishop of Avranches. He was probably related to William de Beaufeu who was Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich ...

bishop of Avranches The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathe ...

from 1134 to 1142 who is probably related to William de Beaufou.

Administration

List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities ...

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 444 inhabitants.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments: * A Chateau (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Religious heritage

The Church of Notre-Dame-de-Druval (13th century) is registered as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée It contains a large number of items that are registered as historical objects.