Why this ride
From Cambrai it runs 82 km to Cambrai; allow about 1 h 13 of riding. It goes by way of Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu, Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage and back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Belfries of Belgium and France and Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 82 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 13
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Belfries of Belgium and France
Cambrai gave its name to a fabric. Cambric, a fine light linen, was once woven and traded in this town, and the word survives in English. The town is also known for a small, translucent mint sweet called the bêtise de Cambrai, which the locals say was invented by mistake, and a visit to a confectioner is a pleasant way to spend ten minutes. The belfry is one of the group of belfries across northern France and Belgium that UNESCO listed together, as symbols of the independence of medieval towns, and in Cambrai it is a tall stone tower in the town centre, while the town hall nearby has two mechanical figures, Martin and Martine, who strike the hours.
Read the complete Belfries of Belgium and France write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Belfries of Belgium and France is where the day begins. Next is Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu.
2. Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu
Lourches is a small mining town in the Nord department, on the banks of the Escaut river, between Denain and Valenciennes, in the heart of the old coal mining basin that stretched across northern France. The memorial named after Charles Mathieu is one of the elements listed as part of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Mining Basin UNESCO site, alongside pitheads, slag heaps, miners' housing and the buildings of the mining companies.
Read the complete Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu comes up about 26 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage.
3. Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage
Coal made this corner of northern France, and coal left it with a landscape unlike anywhere else in the country: slag heaps rising like black pyramids from the fields, pithead frames standing over old shafts and long rows of brick miners' houses lining the streets of every town. The Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin was listed by UNESCO in 2012, and the Cités du Champ Fleuri et du Garage, near Masny and Lewarde, are among its typical housing estates, built by mining companies to house workers and their families close to the pits.
Read the complete Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 40 km into the recorded legs you reach Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage. Next is back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu.
4. back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu, late in the day. Next is Belfries of Belgium and France.
5. Belfries of Belgium and France
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Belfries of Belgium and France write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Belfries of Belgium and France. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Belfries of Belgium and France to Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu
Belfries of Belgium and France → Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu is 26 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu to Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage
Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu → Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage is 14 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage to back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu
Cités du Champ fleuri et du Garage → back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu to Belfries of Belgium and France
back through Monument commémoratif Charles Mathieu → Belfries of Belgium and France is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.