The best walks and hikes around Wattrelos

The blue arch bridge crossing the Canal de Roubaix near the Sartel lock dates from 1999. It is 65m long and 24m wide. Until 1920, Roubaix and Wattrelos were connected only by a narrow bridge over the Sartel lock. This bridge was intended to lead to the Roubaix-Wattrelos train station, built in 1878 in Roubaix between the Pile and Trois Ponts intersections. It was only after the First World War, in 1920, that a municipal decree officially authorized the construction of a bridge over the Sartel. The residents of Wattrelos undoubtedly benefited from the reconstruction of the canal bridges, which had been completely destroyed by the German army during its retreat. The first Sartel Bridge, built entirely of concrete and located on Rue Albert 1er, was dedicated to the brave King of the Belgians, who earned the nickname "Soldier King" for his leadership of the armies during the World War. This bridge was located where the current bridge was later built, about a hundred meters upstream from the original crossing. Source: ateliers-memoire.com

The Sartel lock is the last of the 12 locks on the 12.2 km long Canal de Roubaix, which continues from the French-Belgian border as the "Canal de l'Espierre".

The Canal de Roubaix connects the Deûle River to the Scheldt via the Espierres Canal. Plans for this canal date back to 1821, and it was deemed necessary to supply water and coal to the rapidly developing textile industries in Roubaix and Tourcoing. The first section of the canal begins at the Deûle and includes the canalization of part of the Marque River. This section opened in 1831. The connection from Roubaix to the Belgian-French border was also completed in 1843. The section through Belgium to the Scheldt, the Espierres Canal, was also opened at that time. A watershed existed between the two sections of the canal (between the Lys and the Scheldt), and a tunnel was planned, but this led to difficulties and delays. Therefore, an alternative route was chosen further north, also serving Tourcoing. This more northerly section opened in 1877. A branch of this section of the canal is the Canal de Tourcoing. This was completed in 1893. In 1985, the canal was closed due to dilapidated infrastructure. However, it was restored as an industrial heritage site and reopened to shipping in 2010. The canal is 20 km long and has 12 locks. Source: Wikipedia

Bridge over the Roubaix-L'Espierre Canal. Until 1983, line 271 000, Roubaix-Wattrelos, crossed here, connecting to Belgian line 85 to Leupegem, Oudenaarde. Passenger trains stopped running on the only 3.6 km long and never electrified line 271 000 after 1932. North of the canal bridge, the old railway bed is a footpath, but southward, the bridge has no connection to a path; it ends at the M9. Incidentally, the railway line only ran a few hundred meters further. A number of street art pieces have been installed under the bridge.

The Passerelle Sainte-Marguerite is a pedestrian bridge over the Canal de Roubaix. North of the canal lie the PCUK site and Wattrelos; to the south lies Lys-lez-Lannoy. The water of the Spière (l'Espierre), which flows right next to the canal here, is an indeterminate color. The traces of historical pollution are far from gone...

The street art on the cabinet at the Sartel lock is by Pi80, one of the members of the Collectif Renart from Lille.

To mark the Marian Year of 1954, the Saint-Malo parish of Wattrelo erected a statue in honor of Our Lady of Fatima (feast day: May 13). It is located at the corner of Boulevard Pierre Mendès-France and Rue Gabriel Péri. In 1917, the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared six times to three young shepherdesses in Fatima, in central Portugal.

A little further downstream than the Leers-Noord lock, you can cross the canal again. The path on the north side of the canal leads to Estaimpuis; the one on the south side leads to Leers-Noord.