At Oignies the last coal in the whole Nord-Pas-de-Calais basin was brought up, and the pit closed in December 1990. That was the end of more than two and a half centuries of mining in northern France, and the buildings of pit number 9 and 9 bis survive as a monument and, remarkably, as a concert hall. The old headframes and sheds now host rock bands, and the site is one of the most striking pieces of the UNESCO-listed mining landscape. Two terrils, slag heaps from the mine, rise behind it, green with birch and bramble.
Nearby Courrières has a darker place in the story. In March 1906, an explosion and fire in the Courrières pits killed more than a thousand miners, the worst mining disaster in Europe, and it caused national mourning and a strike movement. The memorials in the cemeteries are quiet and moving.
The landscape is flat, brick-built and orderly, and the roads follow suit. Wide straight departmental roads link the villages, and the cobbled sections known as pavé appear without warning, so slow down on bends and watch for wet stones. The slag heaps are the only hills, and on a clear day the view from the top of one is wide, with the next terril and its twin visible across the fields. In spring the broom is yellow on the slopes, and after rain the heaps smell of wet earth.
Oignies, Courrières and Dourges are small towns with fuel, bakeries and cafes, and Lens and Lille are within easy reach. Climbing a terril on foot takes twenty minutes and rewards you with a view of how the mining landscape fits together. Wear boots, since the paths can be muddy, and pick a day when the cloud is high. A coffee in the village after a walk makes a pleasant ending.