Vesle
Encyclopedia
The Vesle is the river on which the city of Reims
stands. It is a fourth order river
of France
and a left-bank tributary of the Aisne River
. It is 140 kilometres long, rises in the département of Marne
through which it flows most of its course.
It rises at an altitude of about 187 metres, on the dip slope of the Upper Cretaceous chalk
, near the village of Somme-Vesle
, east of Châlons-en-Champagne
. Though still passing through the chalk country, it soon begins to flow on its own Holocene
deposits. It passes through Reims (latitude 49° 15’ 57’’ N, longitude 4° 1’ 46’’ E). On leaving the city's western outskirts, it enters the much more wooded landscape of the Eocene
geology. The info box photograph shows the Vesle as it passes through fen carr, a little downstream from Reims. Halfway From Reims to Soissons
, at Fismes
(Latitude 49° 18' 28" N Longitude 03° 40' 53" E) the river receives the river Ardre
from its left bank. At Condé-sur-Aisne
, having descended to an altitude of about 45 metres, the Vesle joins the Aisne River
.
.
Below Reims, its valley accommodates the road, now the N31/E46, between the two former Gaulish
tribal centres of Reims and Soissons.
région. Its flow was recorded over a period of 34 years (1967-2000), at Braine
, in the department of Aisne. That is to say a little short of its confluence with the Aisne. The catchment area down to this point is km², very nearly the whole basin.
The yearly mean flow or discharge
of the river at Braine is 7.72 m³/second.
Seasonal fluctuations in the flow are very small. The high waters of the Winter/Spring period take the monthly mean to a level of between 9.2 and 12.6 m³/second, from January to May inclusive(with a maximum in March) and the low waters of late Summer/ early Autumn, August to October inclusive, with a minimum of 3.66 m³ in September. The difference is nonetheless noticeable.
The river's upper reaches pass over the chalk plain of Champaigne Once rather disparagingly called Champaigne Pouilleuse, because of its poverty. This region has long been used for military training, its geology and use being similar to those of Salisbury Plain
. The training ground nearest to it is at the Camp de Mourmelon.
During the Great War of 1914-18, the river's valley was just behind the French-held front but at times, particularly in the spring and summer of 1918, it was heavily fought over. See Second Battle of the Marne
.
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
stands. It is a fourth order river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and a left-bank tributary of the Aisne River
Aisne River
The Aisne is a river in northeastern France, left tributary of the river Oise. It gave its name to the French département Aisne. It was known in the Roman period as the Axona....
. It is 140 kilometres long, rises in the département of Marne
Marne
Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
through which it flows most of its course.
Geography
The Vesle flows through the following départements and towns:- MarneMarneMarne is a department in north-eastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne...
: CourtisolsCourtisolsCourtisols is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
, ReimsReimsReims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, FismesFismesFismes is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.- Economy :Many agricultural zones of the region may soon become a section of the zone for production of Champagne.- Antiquity :... - AisneAisneAisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
: BraineBraineBraine may refer to the following places:* Braine, Aisne, a commune in the department of Aisne, France* Braine-l'Alleud, a municipality in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium* Braine-le-Château, a municipality in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium...
It rises at an altitude of about 187 metres, on the dip slope of the Upper Cretaceous chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
, near the village of Somme-Vesle
Somme-Vesle
Somme-Vesle is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
, east of Châlons-en-Champagne
Châlons-en-Champagne
Châlons-en-Champagne is a city in France. It is the capital of both the department of Marne and the region of Champagne-Ardenne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims....
. Though still passing through the chalk country, it soon begins to flow on its own Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
deposits. It passes through Reims (latitude 49° 15’ 57’’ N, longitude 4° 1’ 46’’ E). On leaving the city's western outskirts, it enters the much more wooded landscape of the Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
geology. The info box photograph shows the Vesle as it passes through fen carr, a little downstream from Reims. Halfway From Reims to Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
, at Fismes
Fismes
Fismes is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.- Economy :Many agricultural zones of the region may soon become a section of the zone for production of Champagne.- Antiquity :...
(Latitude 49° 18' 28" N Longitude 03° 40' 53" E) the river receives the river Ardre
Ardre
The Ardre is a fifth order river in France which flows into the Vesle thence into the Aisne, Oise and Seine.-Geography:The river lies to the west of Reims and flows on bearing of about 310° from the Parc Régional de la Montagne de Reims to enter the Vesle at Fismes.It rises at an altitude of about...
from its left bank. At Condé-sur-Aisne
Condé-sur-Aisne
Condé-sur-Aisne is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
, having descended to an altitude of about 45 metres, the Vesle joins the Aisne River
Aisne River
The Aisne is a river in northeastern France, left tributary of the river Oise. It gave its name to the French département Aisne. It was known in the Roman period as the Axona....
.
Communications
From Sept Saulx, some 20 km. above Reims, and into the city, the river is paralleled by the Aisne to Marne CanalCanal de l'Aisne à la Marne
The canal de l’Aisne à la Marne is an 58.1 km long canal which connects the Aisne and the Marne valleys. It runs from Berry-au-Bac to Condé-sur-Marne, in northeastern France. It was completed in 1866 and rebuilt after being entirely destroyed during World War I.- Notes :*This article is based...
.
Below Reims, its valley accommodates the road, now the N31/E46, between the two former Gaulish
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
tribal centres of Reims and Soissons.
Tributaries
- The Noblette joins from the right bank near VadenayVadenayVadenay is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
; - the Cheneu joins from the right bank at Mourmelon-le-PetitMourmelon-le-PetitMourmelon-le-Petit is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Marne department...
; - the Fosse joins from the left bank at MuizonMuizonMuizon is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
. - The Ardre is its principal tributary. It joins from the left bank, at FismesFismesFismes is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.- Economy :Many agricultural zones of the region may soon become a section of the zone for production of Champagne.- Antiquity :...
.
Flow rates of the Vesle at Braine
The Vesle is a river of medium flow, like most which come from the chalkland of the Champagne-ArdenneChampagne-Ardenne
Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the...
région. Its flow was recorded over a period of 34 years (1967-2000), at Braine
Braine, Aisne
Braine is a commune in the department of Aisne in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
, in the department of Aisne. That is to say a little short of its confluence with the Aisne. The catchment area down to this point is km², very nearly the whole basin.
The yearly mean flow or discharge
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
of the river at Braine is 7.72 m³/second.
Seasonal fluctuations in the flow are very small. The high waters of the Winter/Spring period take the monthly mean to a level of between 9.2 and 12.6 m³/second, from January to May inclusive(with a maximum in March) and the low waters of late Summer/ early Autumn, August to October inclusive, with a minimum of 3.66 m³ in September. The difference is nonetheless noticeable.
History
The N31 road has seen the passage of many kings, emperors and armies over the centuries. The French kings were crowned at Reims and usually returned to Paris this way.The river's upper reaches pass over the chalk plain of Champaigne Once rather disparagingly called Champaigne Pouilleuse, because of its poverty. This region has long been used for military training, its geology and use being similar to those of Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
. The training ground nearest to it is at the Camp de Mourmelon.
During the Great War of 1914-18, the river's valley was just behind the French-held front but at times, particularly in the spring and summer of 1918, it was heavily fought over. See Second Battle of the Marne
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
.