Oignies holds a special place in the history of northern France: it is where coal mining in the Pas-de-Calais began and where it ended. In 1842, coal was found here during a search for water on the estate of a local landowner, Henriette de Clercq, starting a rush that transformed the region. And on 21 December 1990, the last tonne of coal in the Nord-Pas de Calais basin was brought up from the 9-9bis pit in Oignies, ending more than two and a half centuries of mining in the region. The old Fosse n°2 and its mine-image, a training gallery where young miners learned their trade above ground, are part of the World Heritage site.
The 9-9bis site has been transformed into a cultural centre, with concert halls, exhibition spaces and a music venue in the old machine halls, while keeping the headframes and buildings that tell the story of mining. The mine-image, recreated galleries where trainees practised with real equipment, gives visitors a sense of what it was like to work underground, in cramped, dark and dangerous conditions.
Oignies sits on the edge of the coal basin, near the border between the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments, where the mining towns give way to farmland and the forests of the Pévèle. The landscape is flat, with terrils, canals and fields, and the roads are straight and quiet outside the towns.
The riding here is relaxed, with small roads winding through villages and fields. The Pévèle, to the north-east, offers pleasant country roads through farmland and woods, with old farms and churches. The forest of Phalempin, just north, is a large woodland with shady roads. Cobbles appear in some villages, and the roads can be muddy after rain. This is a gentle landscape for a slow ride, with history at every turn.
Oignies, about a kilometre away, has fuel, shops and restaurants. Libercourt and Carvin are nearby towns with more options. The region is known for its beers, with several small breweries producing traditional ales, and for its cheeses, such as Maroilles and Vieux-Lille. A visit to a local estaminet for a beer and a plate of cheese is the perfect way to end a ride.