Esquerdes (French pronunciation: [ekɛʁd]; West Flemish: Zwerde) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France[3] 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Saint-Omer.

An ancient village, Esquerdes was on the Roman road, the Leulène, that ran from Thérouanne to Sangatte on the coast.

An archaeological survey of 1984 revealed traces of the Neolithic period (flint and carved bone) at two sites known as Les Tripoux and Le Paradis.

The private Crèvecoeur farm, near the river, is made up of a number of buildings dating from the fifteenth century that belonged to John de Trémoillepuis and his son, Philippe de Crèvecoeur, who served under Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and Kings Louis XI and Charles VII.

The story of Esquerdes is linked to the development of two major industries of paper and gunpowder, which developed from the time of Louis XIV until the 19th century and which led to a large growth in population.