Cucq

Cucq (offeecially cried is Cucq-Trépied-Stella-Plage) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais depairtment in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region o Fraunce.
Geografie
Cucq is made up o three veelages: Cucq itsel, the seicont veelage o Trépied in the north an the coastal resort o Stella-Plage tae the wast.

History
Durin the Merovingian period, the terrain presently occupied bi Cucq, Le Touquet, Merlimont an Berck wis aither mairshland or tidal.

Little bi little, the sea athdrew an the mairshes wur covered bi saund an the dunes.
The gress-covered dunes o Cucq an Trépied are the result o centuries o coastal movement.  The saund o the lawer beach, blown bi the wind at law tide, accumulatit tae form a cordon o dunes alang the coast.

Oreegins o the names o Cucq an Trépied
Cucq or Cuc in Celtic meant "height, hill" or in Laitin "fortified".  The toun wis oreeginally situatit on a dune slichtly heicher than ithers in the vicinity, frae which the comparison an the name o Cucq or Cuck or Cucques haes evolved.

Trépied is sae-cried acause o the triangular ootline o the toun.

Creation o Le Touquet
In 1819, the govrenment decidit tae sell the land o the umwhile domain o the Abbey o St. Josse, confiscatit at the time o the French Revolution. 1600 hectares o the warrens o Trépied wur sauld in 1837 tae Jean-Baptiste Daloz. Pine trees wur plantit ower the entire plot o land. Maist o this aurie became better-kent later as Le Touquet, a separate commune, in 1912.

On the banks o the river Canche, the harbour o Trépied ance boastit mair nor thirty fishin boats. 150 men lived frae the sea, supplyin fish tae the mercats o Amiens, Abbeville an Beauvais.
Stella-Plage
Durin the 20t century, Stella-Plage stairtit tae emerge as a tourist toun.
Frae 1914 tae 1920, plans for the fundation o Stella-Plage wur put on hauld bi Warld War I but frae 1925, Stella wis inauguratit as a "Climatic Station" an attractit holiday-makers frae Paris an Lille.

Warld War II saw Stella razed tae the grund, save for twa villas, that remained intact at the end o the conflict.

Population

Places o interest
Early each Februar, the beach is the scene o the motor-bike races kent as the Enduropal (umwhile the Enduro o Le Touquet).

Notable fowk
 Matthieu Bataille, judo champion o Fraunce 2006 an bronze medallist at the Judo Warld Championship 2007
 Pauline Parmentier, professional tennis player
 Michael Curtis "Yogi" Stewart, played in the NBA basketbaw league for the Atlanta Hawks
 Pauline Crammer, weemen's fitbaa player
 Ophélie David, skier

See also
Communes of the Pas-de-Calais department

References
 INSEE commune file

Freemit airtins
 Cucq on the Quid website  
 Tourism Office o Stella-Plage  

Category:Communes o Pas-de-Calais