Arques

Arques lies inland from Dieppe, where a great Norman castle stands on a narrow, elevated chalk spur above converging valleys. The fortress guarded the approaches to the Channel port and the roads through the surrounding country. Its position became crucial in the struggle for the French crown after the death of Henry III.

In September 1589 Henry IV established an entrenched camp near the castle while the Duke of Mayenne advanced from the interior with the army of the Catholic League. Henry's troops repulsed attacks on their position, and English reinforcements arrived at Dieppe. The victory at Arques helped preserve the new king's valuable foothold in Normandy, from which he could continue the fight for a kingdom divided by religious war.