Why this ride
A 67 km round trip from Oignies - roughly 1 h 11 in the saddle. The stops in between: Monument aux morts 1914-1918, Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les and back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Fosse n°13 bis and Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les-
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 67 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 11
- 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. Fosse n°13 bis
Oignies holds a special place in the story of French coal, because it was the last place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais where a pit closed. The final coal came up at Oignies in December 1990, ending nearly three centuries of mining in the basin, and the old pit buildings there have since been turned into a concert hall and cultural centre. Fosse 13 bis, a few kilometres off, belonged to the Compagnie des mines de Courrières, one of the great names of the coalfield, and the whole district falls inside the Mining Basin World Heritage Site that UNESCO recognised in 2012.
Read the complete Fosse n°13 bis write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Fosse n°13 bis is where the day begins. Next is Monument aux morts 1914-1918.
2. Monument aux morts 1914-1918
Lens is a mining town that was flattened in the First World War and rebuilt in brick, and the monument to the dead of 1914 to 1918 stands as a reminder of what happened here. Lines of trenches ran across this plain for years, and the surrounding ridges, Vimy and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, were the scene of huge battles. At Vimy, the great white Canadian memorial stands on the ridge, commemorating the attack of April 1917 in which Canadian troops took the hill, and the preserved trenches and tunnels can be visited. At Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, a vast French military cemetery and a lantern tower hold the remains of tens of thousands of soldiers. They are quiet places, and the silence is part of the experience.
Read the complete Monument aux morts 1914-1918 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Monument aux morts 1914-1918 comes up about 18 km into the recorded legs. Next is Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les-.
3. Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les-
Noeux-les-Mines stands between Béthune and Lens, and its skyline is dominated by two things: tall slag heaps, the terrils, and the old pithead structures that survive from the coal years. It is the surviving heart of a mine, with its headframe, winding house, baths and offices, plus the housing, school and church that went with it. The UNESCO listing of 2012 includes the Noeux-les-Mines area among its many components, for the sake of the whole landscape rather than any one building.
Read the complete Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les- write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 35 km into the recorded legs you reach Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les-. Next is back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918.
4. back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Monument aux morts 1914-1918 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918, late in the day. Next is Fosse n°13 bis.
5. Fosse n°13 bis
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Fosse n°13 bis write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Fosse n°13 bis. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Fosse n°13 bis to Monument aux morts 1914-1918
Fosse n°13 bis → Monument aux morts 1914-1918 is 18 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Monument aux morts 1914-1918 to Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les-
Monument aux morts 1914-1918 → Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les- is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les- to back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918
Paysage et ensemble miniers de Noeux-les- → back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918 is 18 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918 to Fosse n°13 bis
back through Monument aux morts 1914-1918 → Fosse n°13 bis is 14 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.