Lewarde Mining History Centre
Lewarde Mining History Centre – a unique site in Europe
The CHM recounts 3 centuries of coal mining in the Nord Pas de Calais region. Follow a miner’s daily life from the museum through the miners’ changing rooms to the gallery : living conditions and working conditions down the mine where even children were sent to work from a very young age.
At the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site coal mining region, many former mining sites have been converted into visitor attractions such as outdoor activity centres, nature parks, cultural centres and cinemas.
The CHM is at Lewarde, 8km from Douai, at the heart of the coal mining region. It is on the site of the former Delloye Colliery which has 8,000m² of industrial buildings spread over 8 hectares.
The Centre consists of 3 structures : a mine museum, a resource centre housing the archives of the mining companies and collieries of the Nord-Pas de Calais mining region, and a scientific and technical energy cultural centre which places the history of coal within the broader context of the history of energy.
The site gradually developed into what it is today : the glass-roofed machine building, galleries and first themed exhibitions were opened in the 1980s. Then, in the 1990s, new editorial and events policies were implemented : every year, a new publication is added to one of the centre’s two collections and several temporary exhibitions and events are organised for visitors, including the Patois Festival, Night at the Museum and Heritage Days.
A marvellous day out !
Spend a day at the centre and have lunch at the Estaminet Le Briquet in the former sawmill of the Delloye Colliery, built in 1944 at the far end of the wood plantation. It serves traditional, regional food and is named after the snack (Le Briquet) which miners used to take underground with them.
No too far away…
Douai, 8 kilometres…
The Art and History town of Douai is marked by its military past (fortifications, barracks…).
At the centre of the town is the 54 metre high Belfry with its 62 bells, a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with 22 other Belfries of the Hauts de France region.
In addition to its beautiful religious buildings, the Musée de la Chartreuse has a fine collection of paintings from France, Italy and the École du Nord, as well as a magnificent collection of sculptures in the chapel.
The town is as concerned with nature as it is with culture and has several footpaths along towpaths and around lakes.
http://www.douaitourisme.fr/
Les Argales is an outdoor leisure, nature and sports activity centre at Rieulay (9 km).
The Maison du Terril is at Les Argales outdoor activity centre at Rieulay. Its slag heap, the highest flattened slag heap in Europe, covers 140 hectares. Its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site makes it an exceptional place to deal with the subject of environmental protection and the promotion and reconversion of the mining areas of the Nord. Its footpaths and cycle paths, its 10 hectares of leisure space, its lake with swimming area and lifeguard presence, make it a unique sporting and leisure activity centre.
www. http://maison-du-terril.fr/
A few words from visitors
« A wonderful visit which took us back (but not that far !) into the past of an industry of major importance in France.
The reconstitution of the visit of this historic site is absolutely amazing.
After a family outing here, the following day we all watched the film Germinal at home, a faithful representation of the extremely harsh living conditions of the period.
I thoroughly recommend it !»…
How to get to Lewarde ?
By road : via A1 from Paris, exit for Douai onto N50, then immediately exit for Cambrai onto D643 and follow signs for Centre Historique Minier.
Coming from Lille via A1 or Lens via A21 :
Follow Douai, then immediately exit for Cambrai onto D643 and follow signs for Centre Historique Minier.
Coming from Valenciennes via A2 :
Follow Douai, then exit for Aniche onto D645 and follow signs for Centre Historique Minier.
SatNav : 50.3342515 3.1687816 OR N50°20’3.305 E3°10’7.614
By rail : to Douai by TGV from Paris (1¼ hours). Frequent TGV trains via Lille.
Discover the Nord département and its ‘absolute musts’ with Gites de France Nord : Parc du Val Joly, Cassel, Lille, Roubaix and the Villa Cavrois, the seaside resort of Malo Les Bains."
