Damery

Location

Damery lies in the Marne département in the Grand Est region, a few kilometres from Épernay. The commune belongs to the Montagne de Reims regional nature park and forms part of the Marne Valley winegrowing zone. Its neighbouring villages include Hautvillers, Cumières, Boursault, Mardeuil, Venteuil, Romery, Vauciennes, Fleury-la-Rivière and Belval-sous-Châtillon. Statistically, Damery counts as a rural market town in the catchment area of Épernay. Its inhabitants are known as Dameryats.

Viticulture and landscape

Of the commune's 1,544 hectares, 334 are planted with vines. Damery is therefore clearly shaped by wine growing, even though the village is classified neither as Grand Cru nor as Premier Cru. In the Marne Valley, Pinot Meunier traditionally plays a major role, and many growers value it for fruity, approachable cuvées.

Land use is varied. According to 2018 data, around 29.5 per cent is given over to permanent crops, which include the vineyards, 26.8 per cent to woodland and 23.6 per cent to arable land. The Marne flows through the commune, joined by several smaller watercourses and side channels. In January 2018, during a flood, the river reached its highest daily average here at 497 m³/s.

“In January 2018, during a flood, the river reached its highest daily average here at 497 m³/s.HistoryThe village is old.

History

The village is old. The first mention dates from the year 840, under the name Domnus Reguis. The name points to a royal estate. In Roman times, Damery was a Gallo-Roman vicus at a ford on the road from Reims. In 1947 a potter's kiln and house were discovered, along with a coin workshop and several thousand Roman coins. Graves from the 4th century were found in the plot known as La Terrière.

A network of cellars once linked the houses of the old village and served as a refuge during invasions. In the 1850s the Damery-Boursault station opened on the line from Paris-Est to Strasbourg. It has long been closed to passengers, but the building still stands and is now used as a home. For its conduct in the First World War, the commune was awarded the Croix de guerre 1914-1918 on 30 May 1921.

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For visitors

Damery makes a quiet base for lovers of good wine who prefer to stay away from the big names. Those who want to explore the area on foot will find the long-distance footpath GR14 running through the commune, linking the Marne and Champagne.

• Vineyards and woodland lie close together, ideal for walks.
• Épernay, with its champagne houses, is close by.
• Hautvillers and Cumières are neighbouring villages within easy reach.

The housing is village-like: in 2018 there were 760 dwellings, of which a good 91 per cent were detached houses. Anyone who stops here will find a growers' village that lives from the work in the vineyard, not from tourism.