This area, many times ravaged and disrupted by successive invasions, has lost all its Gallo-Roman and Frankish vestiges. The name ’Coquelles’ is undoubtedly of Latin origin, and was recorded for the first time in 1145 as ‘Calquella’. In 1347 Coquelles was conquered by the English and added to the Pale of Calais.

The French reconquered Coquelles in 1558 and the leaders of the expedition divided the region among themselves. However, this division would take several years. It was attached to the canton of Calais in 1801. At the time, its fertile soil lended itself to all types of cultivation; windmills made it possible to reap rich harvests thanks to the power of the wind that swept across the land. Nowadays Coquelles is well-known for the Channel Tunnel.

In 1985 tunnelling was started in Coquelles, one of the current shuttle terminals. The Channel Tunnel was inaugurated  by British Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterrand on 6 May 1994. This former rural town has turned the page and has transformed into a model of progress firmly focused on the 21^st century thanks to its highly developed commercial and services sector.