Cité Bellevue means beautiful view, and in this part of the Pas-de-Calais the joke, whether intended or not, is that the view is of other mining estates and a skyline of terrils. Noyelles-sous-Lens lies right beside Lens, the old capital of the coalfield, in a landscape that feels like one continuous town. The mines here were among the richest in France, and also among the most dangerous. The Courrières disaster of 1906, in which more than a thousand miners died, happened only a few kilometres away, and it remains the worst mining accident in European history.
That history hangs quietly over the streets. Rows of brick houses with steep roofs line the cité, many restored and repainted, and the old shared gardens are still tended by families who have been here for generations. After the pits closed in the 1980s and 1990s, the region went through a painful decline, but there has been a long and careful effort to preserve and reuse the buildings. In Lens, the Louvre-Lens museum opened on the site of an old pit, and its pale, glassy galleries sit among former slag heaps.
For the rider this is flat, urban fringe, with short straight streets and level crossings, roundabouts and pavé on side roads that can be greasy in the wet. The A21 and the regional roads move traffic fast, but the quieter streets between cités are slow and a little rough. It is not a place for thrilling riding, but it is rich in atmosphere. In the early morning, with mist lying over the fields and the brick faces turning pink, the place has a stillness that is oddly moving.
Lens is a big town, so petrol is no problem and Lens is a big town and Noyelles has shops and bakeries. Football fans will know that Lens is home to the red-and-gold supporters of RC Lens, whose Stade Bollaert-Delelis is one of the most atmospheric grounds in France. On match days, expect traffic and parking trouble, and avoid the centre if you can.