Dutemple headframe — ©The Chevalement Dutemple in Valenciennes|©Claude Waeghemacker

Must-see mining sites A contemplative experience around Valenciennes

The combined work of man and nature, mining cultural landscapes are the expression of a long and intimate relationship between man and his environment… Majestic mounds anchored in their agricultural plains or emerging from a forest, the architectural richness of the alignments of mining towns, neo-natural spaces born of mining subsidence, are all sources of wonder.

Here’s our list of must-see mining sites for a contemplative experience around Valenciennes.

Ready to be amazed?

©Contemplating a sunrise at the Chabaud-Latour mining site in Condé-sur-l'Escaut|©S.Zimny

Condé-sur-l'Escaut Ledoux, the pit returned to Mother Nature

The Bassin Minier has become a green paradise, ideal for discovery, walks and leisure activities. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s like exploring a whole new world. We’ll take you on a tour of some of its treasures!

Most of our nature adventures take place between Condé-sur-l’Escaut and Valenciennes, in the heart of the Scarpe-Escaut Nature Park.

Head for the Chabaud-Latour site, where a vast expanse of nature makes the solitary Ledoux pit headframe and its slag heap even more impressive! This vast wetland complex, spread over 670 ha and protected as a “Espaces Naturels Sensibles”, will blow you away.

On this site, you can also experience an immersive dive into the site’s history in augmented reality: get ready for a dizzying experience!

©Zen moment at the top of Terril Ledoux|©Dboukla

A country "not so black

At the heart of the Scarpe-Escaut Regional Nature Park, the Chabaud-Latour natural site covers over 400 hectares. In addition to its historical interest, this site offers a host of attractions for nature lovers, birdwatchers, sports enthusiasts and families alike. Something for everyone.

Often visited by hikers or runners, the slag heaps and other mining sites can be the setting for a break, a place to slow down… They can also lend themselves to more contemplative activities.

Did you know?

The Valenciennois is the cradle of the mining epic: coal was discovered in 1720 at Fresnes-sur-Escaut, marking the start of 3 centuries of mining in the region… and the creation of today’s cultural landscape!

10.Conde-sur-lEscaut-Chabaud-Latour-OTCVM-claude.waeghemacker-HD-25.jpg — ©Chabaud-Latour mining site at Condé-sur-l'Escaut |©Claude Waeghemacker

Fresnes-Sur-Escaut- Le Parc Joliot Curie — ©Joliot Curie Park in Fresnes Sur Escaut|Claude Waghemacker

©The Chabaud-Latour mining site at Condé-sur-l'Escaut|Claude.waeghemacker

On the banks of the Chabaud-Latour and Digue Noire ponds

Let yourself be charmed by this natural site, one of the richest in the département, which has already seduced a multitude of birds who stop here on their migration or live here all year round. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a swan land majestically, meet geese, and other rarer birds specific to the site depending on the season…

Before the sinking of the Chabaud-Latour (1873) and Ledoux (1901) pits, this area was occupied by marshland and a modest body of water. With mining, the soil weakened and subsided, gradually giving rise in the 1930s to two vast ponds, de Chabaud-La-tour and de la Digue noire. With the concentration of farming after Nationalization, the two ponds expanded further, and a third expanse appeared. The banks of the ponds offer wide-open views of the surrounding slag heaps and the Fosse Ledoux headframe.

The spectacle of nature At the top of the Ledoux slag heap

The Terril Ledoux is a conical slag heap that has retained its original shape. Fifty meters high, it has been lightly landscaped to make it accessible. It is now home to new bushy and tree-like vegetation and a rich and diverse fauna…

Discovering the beauty, calm and biological diversity of these shale giants is an experience you won’t soon forget! The extraordinary ascent of the Ledoux slag heaps is guaranteed to take your mind off the frenetic pace of everyday life and give you a sense of perspective. Abandon yourself to the spectacle of nature, and escape into the immensity offered by the 360° panorama of the remarkable Chabaud-Latour mining landscape. Enjoy a privileged moment of complicity.

©Chabaud Latour de Condé-sur-l'Escaut|©Claude Waeghemacker

©Terril Ledoux ascent path |©Virginie Boucaut

©View from the Fosse Ledoux slag heap. Condé-sur-l'Escaut.|Samuel Dhote

In the shadow of Pioneer history In the grounds of Stanislas Desandrouin's château

The land on which the château stands belonged to the Desandrouin family. Around 1770, Stanislas, director of the Compagnie d’Anzin and grandson of Jacques (discoverer of coal), had a sumptuous residence built with the profits he made from coal mining. Neoclassical in style and massive in appearance, the château stands out unmistakably and is surrounded by a vast park: aviary, hunting lodge, garden bridge and water mirrors make up the ensemble. Not far from the château, an artificial island is topped by a Temple of Love built in 1777.
The whole bears indirect witness to the prosperity and financial power of the Compagnie d’Anzin, already at the end of the 18th century.

On the outskirts of Fresnes-sur-l’Escaut town center, the mining industry has produced, among other things, a remarkable heritage… In the Trieu district of Fresnes, in Jeanne Colard’s pasture, Jacques Desandrouin discovered coal in 1720, after 4 years of relentless effort. The exact location of the discovery is inaccessible today, but a plaque, a half-moon and a sedan symbolize the founding act of a story that would profoundly change the region and give birth to the Bassin Minier.

The Fosse du Sarteau site was chosen by the Compagnie d’Anzin for its proximity to the Escaut River. Completed in 1827, the “pompe à feu” housed a steam engine designed to pump water. The building is topped by crenellations and false machicolations. Although of no functional use, these architectural details borrow certain medieval elements, a common practice in industrial architecture of the period.

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At the foot of the Dutemple headframe

Fosse Dutemple was active from the 18th to the 20th century (1764-1940). Rebuilt after the First World War, the second shaft features a concrete headframe, typical of the Reconstruction period. Dating from 1920, it is an architecturally sophisticated headframe. With a staircase providing access to all levels, it features three platforms with elaborate overhangs. The pit was used for ventilation until 1949, when it was dismantled. In addition to its symbolic value, the headframe bears witness to the destruction of the production infrastructure during the First World War and Reconstruction. When night falls, the silhouette of the headframe is illuminated, and at certain times of the year it melts into the elements… making it all the more moving to discover and contemplate.

©Valenciennes Chevalement Dutemple Otcvmclaude.waeghemackerhd 172

On the former mine rider

The Compagnie d’Anzin was the first to install its own rail network for transporting coal, the Somain-Peruwelz cavalier. Built between 1838 and 1874, it links the Company’s pits and extends over 40 kilometers. Located on the last section opened in 1874, the Fresnes station is one of the most important on the cavalier. A simple pier was built in 1874, but at the beginning of the 20th century, a new station was built, with an extensive architectural design based on rich geometric patterns of red, grey and white brick.
Behind the station, the track layout and platforms, with their covered gallery, have been preserved.

Auberge du Bon Fermier

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