Villers-Bocage, Calvados

Villers-Bocage
Town hall
Location of Villers-Bocage
Villers-Bocage
Villers-Bocage
Coordinates: 49°05′N 0°40′W / 49.08°N 0.66°W / 49.08; -0.66
CountryFrance
RegionNormandy
DepartmentCalvados
ArrondissementVire
CantonLes Monts d'Aunay
IntercommunalityPré-Bocage Intercom
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Stéphanie Leberrurier[1]
Area
1
5.76 km2 (2.22 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
3,088
 • Density536/km2 (1,390/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
14752 /14310
Elevation95–217 m (312–712 ft)
(avg. 170 m or 560 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Villers-Bocage (French pronunciation: [vilɛʁ bɔkaʒ] ) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in Northern France.

History

Second World War

The Battle of Villers-Bocage was a significant battle between British and German forces on 13 June 1944 during the Battle of Normandy.[3] Further fighting occurred two weeks later during Operation Epsom, during which the village was destroyed by 250 RAF heavy bombers.

Geography


Population

Points of interest

  • Le parc de l'Écanet is a public park in the commune that is open to the public all year round and features a lake.[7]

Architecture contemporaine remarquable

International relations

Villers-Bocage is twinned with:[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
  3. ^ Daniel Taylor: Villers-Bocage through the Lens. 1999, ISBN 978-1870067072.
  4. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps.
  5. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Villers-Bocage, EHESS (in French).
  6. ^ Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
  7. ^ "Avec les fortes chaleurs, ce parc de Villers-Bocage est plébiscité pour trouver un peu de fraîcheur". actu.fr. 16 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Église Saint-Martin Villers-Bocage". Monumentum (in French). 27 January 2026.
  9. ^ "À la découverte des vitraux". 19 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Caumont-sur-Aure. Un pommier pour célébrer le jumelage avec une ville de Bavière". lamanchelibre.fr. 13 May 2024.
  11. ^ Clarke, Lewis (24 September 2024). "Bampton celebrates 50 years of twinning with a tapestry gift to Villers-Bocage". Devon Live.