On horseback around Ville-sur-Haine

Departure from Place de la Wanze.

(S/E) Head towards the roundabout and take the second exit onto Rue du Coron. At the next crossroads, continue straight on Rue des Fours à Chaux until you reach the crossroads with Rue du Trieu.

(1) At the Y-junction, turn right onto Rue du Trieu, then right again onto the path that leads down to the towpath of the Canal du Centre. At the bottom of the towpath, continue straight ahead to climb onto the towpath.

(2) Turn right onto it to reach the George Price Footbridge.

(3) Pass under the footbridge and continue straight ahead to the bridge under the national road.

(4) Go under the bridge and continue to the Havré lock.

(5) Turn left, cross the lock and turn left again onto the path that leads down to the towpath. Take this path to the left and, just before the George Price Footbridge, take the small gravel path on the right that leads to the Canal du Centre Historique.

(6) At the Havré drawbridge, continue along the towpath that runs alongside the Canal du Centre Historique on the left and continue to the hydroelectric power station on the right.

(7) Stay on the same path until you reach a disused lock.

(8) Turn left onto Rue du Port de Plaisance and head towards hydraulic lift no. 4.

(9) Just after the hydraulic lift, cross Rue Saint-Géry and take the small path that climbs towards the Canal du Centre Historique. Turn left onto the towpath and continue to the Thieu drawbridge.

(10) At the Thieu drawbridge, turn left onto Rue des Saules. At the first crossroads, keep left onto Rue Jules André, then left again onto Rue Raymond Cordier and arrive at the fork before Pont Cordier.

(11) Turn right onto the path leading to the Strépy-Thieu funicular lift. At the first fork, take the path on the left that leads to the funicular lift.

(12) Pass in front of the funicular lift and at the end of the bridge, turn left and then left again onto the path that descends towards the towpath of the Canal du Centre. Continue straight ahead and pass under the Hardat Bridge and then under the Qiunsac Bridge (also known as the Green Bridge).

(2) Continue straight ahead.

(3) Just after the George Price Footbridge, take the path on the right that leads to the memorial. Cross the memorial square and take the first path on the left, the Sentier des Prés.

(13) Follow this path. At the end of the path, turn left. At the roundabout, take the second exit towards Place de la Wanze (S/E).

(1) The village of Ville-sur-Haine. The name is thought to come from the presence of a Roman villa built along the Haine river. The name evolved over the centuries: Villa-Super-Hoeniam (1240), Ville-Sour-Haine (1293), Ville-sur-Haysne (1660) and Ville-Sur-Heine (1744). In Walloon, it is Ville-so-Inne.
Ville-sur-Haine was devastated twice by the French army.
It was a separate municipality before the 1977 merger of municipalities. On 21 July 1963, the village was twinned with the town of Quinsac in France (in the Bordeaux region).

(2) The Canal du Centre. The law of 9 March 1957, known as the "1,350-tonne law", marked a turning point for the Belgian river network. Its aim was to modernise and adapt the waterways to a 1,350-tonne gauge, thus allowing larger capacity boats to pass through. As it was impossible to adapt the old Centre Canal to these new requirements, the decision was taken to build a completely new route. This new canal, approximately 12 kilometres long, was dug close to the old one. It connects the Brussels-Charleroi Canal near Houdeng-Aimeries to the Mons-Condé and Nimy-Blaton-Péronnes canals. This strategic interconnection now allows direct navigation between northern France and the seaports of the North Sea, significantly boosting river transport in the region. Work on this ambitious project began in 1963 and the new canal was finally opened to navigation in 2002.

(3) George Price Footbridge. In 1991, a footbridge was built to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Canal du Centre. It is named after George Price, the last Commonwealth soldier killed in the First World War.

(6) Havré drawbridge. The correct term for this type of bridge is "lift bridge", as "drawbridge" refers to the bascule gate that secured the main entrance to medieval castles

(7) Historic Canal du Centre. The idea of connecting Mons to Charleroi by a canal first emerged in 1807. On 5 May 1810, Napoleon made the project a reality by signing the decree authorising its construction. However, work did not begin until 1882. The canal had to overcome a major challenge: an impressive 68-metre drop over a distance of only 7 kilometres. The solution chosen was to build four hydraulic lifts. Lift number 1 was inaugurated in 1888 by King Leopold II. However, the flood tests ended in disaster: the properties along the banks of the Thieu and Bracquegnies were flooded. The cause? Numerous mine galleries ran under the canal route. This incident led to a 20-year halt in construction, and lift number 1 became a mere tourist attraction. Paradoxically, it was thanks to the Germans during the First World War that work resumed. Lift number 4 was finally completed and the canal was filled with water in 1917. This enabled the invaders to efficiently transport weapons and supplies to their troops.

(9) Hydraulic lift. The Canal du Centre in Wallonia is famous for its four hydraulic lifts, which compensate for an impressive 68-metre difference in height. These structures are based on the principles of the lifts designed by engineer Edwin Clark, whose first hydraulic lift was built in Anderton, England, in 1874. Each of these lifts compensates for a height difference of around 16 metres, although the one in Thieu is the most impressive, with a height of 16.75 metres. Their operation is remarkable: they use only the force of water, without any electrical energy. A hydraulic lift consists of two tanks, each supported by a massive cylinder containing a piston that descends 20 metres into the ground. These cylinders are interconnected by a 30 cm diameter pipe equipped with a valve. The principle is simple and ingenious, comparable to a balance. When the two tanks are of equal weight, they remain in equilibrium. When a boat enters a tank, it displaces a volume of water whose weight corresponds exactly to its own (Archimedes' principle), which maintains the balance of the tanks. To initiate movement, simply add 50 cm of water (or 75 tonnes) to the upper tank, making it heavier. Opening the central valve allows the water pressure to lower the heavier tank and propel the lower tank upwards. The machine room, located at the base of the lift, plays no role in the movement of the tanks. Its sole function is to supply the pressurised water needed to open, close and seal the doors. These boat lifts are an exceptional example of late^19th-century engineering. Their importance is recognised worldwide, and they were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

(12) Strépy-Thieu funicular lift. The Strépy-Thieu funicular lift is a technological feat that allows boats to climb an impressive 73.15 metres in just a few minutes. Construction began in 1982 and it was opened to navigation in 2002. It is a veritable concrete colossus, measuring 110 metres high, 130 metres long and 75 metres wide, and weighing around 200,000 tonnes. The Strépy-Thieu lift operates on the principle of a funicular railway: the barges that carry the boats are suspended from cables and balanced by counterweights. The ascent itself takes only about 7 minutes.

(13) George Price Memorial. A few minutes before 11 a.m. and the end of the war, the German armies retreated to the heights of Ville-sur-Haine. A Canadian regiment, normally stationed in Mons, reached the Canal du Centre. A certain George Price, from the^28th Infantry Battalion, originally from Nova Scotia, crossed the drawbridge and reached the first house. The Germans had hidden in neighbouring houses and along a path near the north side of the canal. It was from this path that a sniper fired the last shots of the Great War, killing George Price with a bullet to the chest. A local man bravely tried to lift the Canadian soldier. A woman came out of her house and took a cloth flower from his pocket, now stained with his blood. George Price died a few moments later before their eyes. In the minutes that followed, the end of the war was announced. George Price was truly unlucky.