The Dash North

The Canal de Nord is 95 kms long from Pont l’Eveque to Arlex. There are 19 locks and 2 tunnels and even though we were on a tight schedule it still took us 4 days to reach the turn off to the Canal Sensee.

The construction of the canal commenced in 1908 in response to the increased demand from the French coal mining industries in the north. It was halted due to WW1 and construction was not recommenced until 1959 being completed in 1965.

This part of the journey was not resplendent with interesting towns to visit. Rather it was a means to an end.

The first tunnel, the Panneterie tunnel, only 1km in length and well lit.

After negotiating the tunnel our first stop was the small town of Nesle. A wild mooring and a trek into town to replenish supplies

The town of Peronne proved a lot more interesting and luckily there was space in the harbour and we had power!

This town, fortified during the early Middle Ages, has a long history of war over the centuries. The site was originally a monastery built in 650 by Anglo Saxon prince and bishop of London, Erkenwald to house the remains of St. Fursa (a Celtic cleric who did much to promote Christianity in England).Populated by Irish monks it was destroyed and pillaged by the Vikings in 880.During the Spanish occupation in the 17th century, the town was completely destroyed, then it was again devastated the Germans in 1870. Peronne was on the front line during the 2 battles of the Somme, the outcome of which was again total destruction. To top it off in 1940 the German airforce bombed and burnt it. Seems a bit of an unlucky site.

Within the walls of the remains of the Chateau de Perrone is a museum commemorating WW1. Within the museum there is a room devoted to the memory of the Australian soldiers who liberated the town in 1918

Other display in the museum include the uniforms of German and allied soldiers, war propaganda from both sides of the conflict and a collection of artefacts retrieved from the local farms over the decades.

From Peronne it was through another tunnel, the Souterrain de Rulaucourt. This one is 4.3 kms long and like all tunnels is a one way system, the major difference being a crossover for traffic half way through. Luckily we were the only boats travelling through that day, so we didn’t meet any oncoming traffic in the middle.

Another wild mooring at Hermies. No we didn’t find the bag shop!

Situated at the confluence of the Canal du Nord and the river Sensee is the town of Arlex. This town is best known for the production of smoked garlic, celebrated with the garlic festival the first weekend in September. For once our timing was right and we joined the crowds to celebrate this most used vegetable.