Balaives-et-Butz

Balaives-et-Butz is a former commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Flize.^[2]

Balaives-et-Butz
Part of Flize
The Church of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens
Coat of arms
Location of Balaives-et-Butz
Balaives-et-Butz Show map of France Balaives-et-Butz Show map of Grand Est
Coordinates: 49°40′25″N 4°44′05″E
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Ardennes
Arrondissement	Charleville-Mézières
Canton	Nouvion-sur-Meuse
Commune	Flize
Area 1	11.05 km2 (4.27 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]	202
• Density	18/km2 (47/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code	08160
Elevation	173–326 m (568–1,070 ft) (avg. 210 m or 690 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The commune has been awarded two flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.^[3]

Geography

Balaives-et-Butz is located an est. 10 km south of Charleville-Mézières, and 5 km north-east of Poix-Terron. Access to the commune is by the D233 road from Boutancourt in the east, which passes through the south-eastern branch of the commune just south of the village then continues south-west to Singly. The village is accessed by the Rue du Routon which branches off the D233. The commune has large areas of forest with comparatively small areas of farmland.^[4]

The Ruisseau de Butz rises west of the village and flow east through the village then eastwards to join the Étang d'Alger and the Ruisseau de Boutancourt which eventually joins the Meuse at Flize. The Ruisseau de Bourbeuse rises south of the village and joins the Ruisseau de Butz in the village.

Neighbouring communes and villages

History

The name Balaives means "beautiful water" from the nearby water sources.

Heraldry

Arms of Balaives-et-Butz

Blazon: Gules, a Cross of Or cantoned with 4 billets the same, in chief Azure charged with a lion passant guardant of Azure.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[5]

From	To	Name
1952	1976	Jean Baudet
1995	2001	Jean-Christophe Oudin
2001	2019	Jean-Louis Milard

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Balaiviens or Balaiviennes in French.^[6]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 212 —     1800 215 +0.20% 1806 231 +1.20% 1821 258 +0.74% 1831 402 +4.53% 1836 424 +1.07% 1841 434 +0.47% 1846 443 +0.41% 1851 437 −0.27% 1866 435 −0.03% 1872 393 −1.68% 1876 374 −1.23% 1881 384 +0.53% 1886 383 −0.05% 1891 356 −1.45% 1896 307 −2.92% 1901 279 −1.89%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1906 247 −2.41% 1911 303 +4.17% 1921 212 −3.51% 1926 204 −0.77% 1931 198 −0.60% 1936 177 −2.22% 1946 170 −0.40% 1954 188 +1.27% 1962 212 +1.51% 1968 178 −2.87% 1975 181 +0.24% 1982 200 +1.44% 1990 216 +0.97% 1999 209 −0.37% 2007 231 +1.26% 2012 227 −0.35%
Source: EHESS[7] and INSEE[8]

Sites and monuments

A Fulling Water Mill (currently a Vynex Hardware factory) (18th century) is registered as an historical monument.^[9]

See also

• Communes of the Ardennes department