In 1757, a group of aristocrats and entrepreneurs founded the Compagnie des Mines d'Anzin to work the coal seams found under the plains near Valenciennes. It grew into one of the largest industrial companies in France, owning dozens of pits, thousands of workers' houses and its own schools, churches and shops. The ensemble here at Fresnes-sur-Escaut, close to the Belgian border, includes buildings connected with the company's long history, and it is part of the Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin World Heritage site.
Anzin has a special place in French history. A major strike by its miners in 1884 inspired Émile Zola, who visited the area to research his novel Germinal, a raw portrait of mining life and labour struggle that is still read in schools today. The company's history is also linked with the early days of the steam engine and industrial capitalism in France. Fresnes-sur-Escaut claims to be the place where coal was first found in the region, in the early eighteenth century.
The landscape is flat and green, with the Escaut river, called the Scheldt in Belgium, running through it on its way to Antwerp. Spoil heaps, terrils, rise like small mountains above the plain, many now covered with trees and turned into nature reserves. The old mining towns have rows of brick houses, red and orange, built by the company for its workers. Not far away, the forest of Raismes-Saint-Amand-Wallers is a large woodland that includes the Arenberg pit, where the coal mine closed in 1989 and the cobbled road through the forest, the Trouée d'Arenberg, is one of the most famous sections of the Paris-Roubaix cycle race.
The riding here is flat and urban, with lots of roundabouts, small towns and traffic. Cobbled roads remain in places, which can be tricky on a motorcycle, especially when wet. The forest roads are pleasant, and the area is easy to explore, but this is not a place for curves. The real reward is the history and the atmosphere.
Fresnes-sur-Escaut, just over a kilometre away, has fuel and basic services. Valenciennes, about fifteen minutes away, is a larger city with a lively centre. Try a carbonnade flamande, beef stewed in beer, or a slice of tarte au maroilles, a strong cheese tart, washed down with a local beer.