Sensée Canal

Canal de la Sensée

The Bassin Rond - a small lake of sorts where the Canal de l'Escaut end the Canal de la Sensée meet next to Estrun in Northern France
Specifications
Length 25 km (16 mi)[1]
History
Current owner VNF
Principal engineer Augustin Honnorez
Date approved 1806
Construction began 1819
Date completed 1820
Geography
Start point At Douai, connects to Scarpe supérieure, Scarpe inférieure, and Deûle [2]
End point L'Escaut and Canal de Saint-Quentin in Cambrai [2]

The Canal de la Sensée is a project that was developed under Napoleon. In March 1806, the imperial government gave orders to build a canal which would link the Scarpe River and the Escaut River (German: Scheldt). The work was commenced under the direction of Augustin Honnorez in June 1819 and the Sensée canal was opened to navigation in November 1820. (Although it is said that the channel of the Sensée was dug by English prisoners of war, although this could not have been the case, being started some years after 1815). At that time the boats were pulled by men or horses working for boat employers. Shortly after World War I 1914-1918, horses were replaced by tractors.

The Canal de la Sensée forms one section of the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut route.

See also

References

  1. ↑ McKnight, Hugh (2005). Cruising French Waterways, 4th Edition. Sheridan House. ISBN 9781574092103.
  2. 1 2 Vois Navigables France Itinéraires Fluviaux. Editions De L'Ecluse. 2009. ISBN 978-2-916919-21-8.

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