Canal Dunkerque-Escaut
Encyclopedia
The Canal Dunkerque-Escaut is a 189 km series of large canals from Dunkerque to Mortagne-du-Nord
Mortagne-du-Nord
-References:*...

. The route is also known as the liaison,
La Liaison au Grand Gabarit, Canal au Grand Gabarit, Dunkerque-Escaut Waterway and Liaison Dunkerque-Escaut.

The Grand Gabarit (Large Gauge) canal route was created after the Second World War to accommodate very large commercial vessels - up to 143m long by 11m wide. This includes push-tows and side-by-side configurations. Existing canals were straightened and widened; and locks (ecluses) were enlarged.

The route

Different references have it as different lengths depending on beginning and ending points. All agree on the beginning as Dunkerque:
  • Ending in Doornik Belgium
    Belgium
    Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

     is 202 km (125.5 mi) with 14 locks
  • Ending at Belgium
    Belgium
    Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

     border is 187 km (116.2 mi) with 14 locks
  • Ending at Mortagne-du-Nord
    Mortagne-du-Nord
    -References:*...

     189 km (117.4 mi) with 14 locks


The route includes, starting in Dunkerque:
  • Canal de Bourbourg
    Canal de Bourbourg
    The Canal de Bourbourg is a 19.5 km long canal which connects the Aa River and Dunkerque's inner harbours in the Nord department, in northern France...

     from Dunkerque to 50.88869°N 2.24696°E between Lynck and Pont l'Abbesse
  • Canal de la Colme
    Canal de la Colme
    The Canal de la Colme is made up of the Canal de la Haute Colme and the Canal de la Basse Colme.-References:...

     from 50.88869°N 2.24696°E to Watten
    Watten, Nord
    -Sights:The village is famous for its old ruined abbey, and for its mill, which was restored in the 1990s. These two buildings are located on the "Mountain of Watten" . Its church dates from the thirteenth century.-References:* *...

  • River Aa from Watten
    Watten, Nord
    -Sights:The village is famous for its old ruined abbey, and for its mill, which was restored in the 1990s. These two buildings are located on the "Mountain of Watten" . Its church dates from the thirteenth century.-References:* *...

     to Arques
    Arques, Pas-de-Calais
    Arques is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Arques is situated in the middle of the region 40 km from Calais and Dunkerque, and 45 km from Boulogne-sur-Mer. It lies on the border between the departments of Pas-de-Calais and Nord.The town is crossed by...

  • Canal de Neufossé
    Canal de Neufossé
    The Canal de Neufossé is a French canal connecting the Aa River in Arques to the Canal d'Aire in Aire-sur-la-Lys. It is a segment of the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut. In 1760, the Neufossé canal was built to link the river Lys to the Aa, and give Lille and other inland towns a French route to the...

      from Arques
    Arques, Pas-de-Calais
    Arques is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:Arques is situated in the middle of the region 40 km from Calais and Dunkerque, and 45 km from Boulogne-sur-Mer. It lies on the border between the departments of Pas-de-Calais and Nord.The town is crossed by...

     to Aire-sur-la-Lys
    Aire-sur-la-Lys
    Aire-sur-la-Lys is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The commune is located 10 miles southeast of Saint-Omer, at the junction of the N43 with several departmental roads, by the banks of the Lys and the Laquette rivers.-History:Aire-sur-la-Lys is mentioned for...

  • Canal d'Aire
    Canal d'Aire
    The Canal d'Aire is a French canal connecting the Canal de Neufossé in Aire-sur-la-Lys to the Canal de la Deûle in Bauvin. It is a segment of the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut. -External links:*...

      from Aire-sur-la-Lys
    Aire-sur-la-Lys
    Aire-sur-la-Lys is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The commune is located 10 miles southeast of Saint-Omer, at the junction of the N43 with several departmental roads, by the banks of the Lys and the Laquette rivers.-History:Aire-sur-la-Lys is mentioned for...

     to Bauvin
    Bauvin
    Bauvin is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is south-west of Lille.-Heraldry:-References:*...

  • Canal de la Deûle
    Canal de la Deûle
    The Canal de la Deûle is a canal in northern France connecting Bauvin to the Belgian border near Deûlémont. It is 35.8 km with 3 locks. It may also be called the liaison Bauvin-Lys....

      from Bauvin
    Bauvin
    Bauvin is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is south-west of Lille.-Heraldry:-References:*...

     to Douai
    Douai
    -Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...

  • Canal de la Sensée  from Douai
    Douai
    -Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...

     to Bassin Rond
    Bassin Rond
    The Bassin Rond is a pond located beside the Canal de la Sensée as it joins the Canal de l'Escaut near Estrun....

  • River Scheldt from Bassin Rond
    Bassin Rond
    The Bassin Rond is a pond located beside the Canal de la Sensée as it joins the Canal de l'Escaut near Estrun....

     via Valenciennes
    Valenciennes
    Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...

     to Belgium
    Belgium
    Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...


External links

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