The canals in the town centre from Le Rœulx

Start from the Grand’Place.

(S/E) With your back to the Town Hall, head left towards the Faubourg de Binche.

(1) Walk past the former Saint-Jacques Hospital on your right and continue straight on until you reach the junction with Rue de la Victoire and Rue de Savoie. Take Rue de Savoie on the right to go through the tunnel under the E19/E42 motorway.

(2) After the tunnel, keep left to reach the Pavé du Rœulx roundabout.

(3) At the roundabout, take the second exit, opposite, onto Rue du Pavé du Rœulx. Take the path on the right leading towards the industrial buildings and carry on straight ahead towards the Canal du Centre.

(4) When you reach the bend, just before the canal, take the towpath on the right towards the Strépy-Thieu funicular lift. Take the path on the right which runs down alongside the lift. At the bend, just before the end of the path, turn left onto the small path leading down towards the lift.

(5) At the end, turn left towards the lift.

(6) Cross the lift esplanade and, at the end, turn right and then right again onto the path leading down to the Canal du Centre towpath. Go under the bridge, continue straight on and then go under the Saint-Géry bridge.

(7) At the end of the towpath, turn left onto the path that runs alongside hydraulic lift no. 4 and cross Rue Saint-Géry.

(8) Immediately afterwards, turn right onto the small path leading up towards the towpath of the historic Canal du Centre. Follow it to the left until you reach the Thieu drawbridge.

(9) When you reach the drawbridge, carry on straight ahead along the towpath.

(10) Cross an old tram track – which no longer exists – and carry on straight ahead to reach the Strépy drawbridge.

(11) Cross Rue Florentine and carry on straight ahead along the towpath.

(12) Pass under the N55 bridge to reach Houdeng’s hydraulic lift No. 3.

(13) Walk alongside the buildings of hydraulic lift no. 3 and turn left onto the path leading up to hydraulic lift no. 2.

(14) At Hydraulic Lift No. 2, continue along the Ravel. Go under the bridge on Rue Liebin and carry on straight ahead.

(15) Pass in front of St John the Baptist’s Church and, on your right, admire the swing bridge over the canal. Continue straight on along the towpath.

(16) Just after an old bridge, and before a temporary bridge, turn left and, immediately afterwards, at the junction, turn right onto Rue Falise. Cross the Chaussée Paul Houtard and continue straight on along Rue Tout-Y-Faut. Walk past the Cantine des Italiens and, at the next junction, turn right towards hydraulic lift no. 1.

(17) Just before the bridge of hydraulic lift no. 1, turn left to reach the historic Canal du Centre and follow Rue Tout-Y-Faut to the right until the second junction, at the bridge spanning the canal.

(18) Continue to the left, still on Rue Tout-Y-Faut. At the roundabout, go straight ahead, taking the second exit.

(19) At the second roundabout, take the first exit on the right, Chemin de Familleureux. Cross the Canal du Centre bridge.

(20) Shortly after the end of the bridge, cross Chemin de Familleureux, then follow the narrow, zigzagging path that descends to the left towards the Canal du Centre towpath and follow it to the right.

(21) When you reach the safety barrier, carry on straight ahead.

(22) Continue across the canal bridge spanning the N55 main road.

(23) When you reach the industrial buildings, continue along the small path to the right and you’ll come to Rue du Grand Peuplier. At the end of the street, turn left to reach the Pavé du Rœulx roundabout.

(3) Take the first exit on the right and continue along Rue Pavé du Rœulx.

(2) At the bottom of the street, turn right, go through the tunnel under the motorway and continue along Rue de Savoie. At the next junction, turn left onto Faubourg de Binche, which will take you to the Grand’Place (S/E).

Free parking spaces at the start and finish points (on the Grand’Place and behind the Town Hall.

(6) Suggested shortcut:
At the bottom of the esplanade, turn right onto Rue Raymond Cordier. Follow it to the left and, after 50 metres, turn right onto Rue Jules André, which continues as Rue des Saules, until you reach the drawbridge (9). Turn left and then follow the route as described. This shortens the journey by approximately 2 km.

(S/E) Grand Place. Listed by the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites, it has a unique triangular shape. Originally, it served as the market square. There was a drinking trough (a ‘wel’) in its narrowest part and, at the opposite end, a water pump to supply drinking water to the inhabitants. The path running alongside it is none other than the old road linking Nivelles and Binche. In 2002, the Grand-Place was completely renovated. It was on this occasion that a fountain was installed, the work of the artist Freddy Taminiaux. This fountain is a true allegory of fertility and abundance. Several symbols are hidden within it: abundance is represented by hair plaited like ears of wheat;the sisters of the former Saint-Jacques Hospital are evoked by the chasuble;the abbots of Saint-Feuillien Abbey (Premonstratensian canons) are symbolised by the scalloped hem of the chasuble;and fertility is illustrated by the rounded belly.

The Town Hall, built in 1862, replaced the ‘Maison de la paix’. This building stood on the left-hand corner of the Grand-Place . The design of the façade is largely inspired by the central section of Roeulx Castle. It features the same six openings, triangular pediment and balcony adorned with a balustrade. The building housed the magistrates’ court until 2006, as evidenced by the words ‘peace – justice – laws’ engraved beneath the balcony. It features a clock whose mechanism was designed by Prince Emmanuel de Croÿ in 1864.

Around the square, several remarkable houses can be seen:the Maison Saint-Nicolas (No. 28), also known as the ‘Hostel St Nicolas’, was built in 1745. 1.The Maison du Cornet (No. 30), formerly known asthe ‘Hostellerie du Cornet’, certain parts of the building date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The structures in the inner courtyard are notably marked with the date 1632. The Maison Espagnole (No. 35) was built in 1727 and bears witness to Spanish influence in the region. Its coat of arms, visible above the entrance door, bears witness to this period, although Spanish rule came to an end in 1713. It was built on the site of the former fruit and vegetable market, marking the transformation of the urban landscape

(1) Former Saint-Jacques Hospital. In the year 1202, Baudouin, bailiff to the Lord of Roeulx, was preparing to set off for the Fourth Crusade. Before setting off for the East, he entrusted his possessions and property to Eustache, Lord of Le Roeulx, so that they might be turned into a hospital to care for the city’s poor and pilgrims setting out forSantiago de Compostela. For the first four centuries, the hospital was run by lay people, lay brothers and sisters; the brothers looked after the farm, whilst the sisters were responsible for reception, care and housekeeping. Around the 1550s, the hospital went through a period of crisis. By 1556, poorly managed and left to its own devices, it had only one nun remaining:Sister Péronne.

In 1622, Count Claude de Croÿ decided to intervene by calling upon the convent of the Sisters of the Madeleine in Ath. In 1625, four devoted sisters (Madeleine Delecourt, Jeanne du Castillon, Marie Sapureux and Catherine Blanchart) were appointed. They took their vows in 1627, following the Order of Saint Augustine. As well as caring for the poor, they devoted themselves to rebuilding the hospital and the chapel, and founded a school for young girls. Thanks to their work, the hospital expanded considerably between 1634 and 1736, taking on its present appearance. Most of the present building dates from^{the 17th} and^18th centuries; the lower section dates from 1634 and the upper brick section from 1736, with the exception of the large hall at the front, which was built in^{the 19th} century. The entire complex has been listed since 1975 by the Royal Commission for Monuments and Sites. The hospital’s entrance door is adorned with a bas-relief depicting a flaming heart – the emblem of the Order of Saint Augustine – surrounded by the word ‘charitas’. This flaming heart is surmounted by a statuette of Saint James. The door to the chapel, which dates from 1634, is surmounted by a niche for a statuette. The chancel of this Gothic chapel, meanwhile, dates back to the^16th century. A room adjoining the chapel allowed patients to attend services without risk of infection.

After the French Revolution, the hospital was converted into a civil hospice and a charity office. At the start of the^20th century, it came under the authority of the Centre d’Assistance Publique (CAP), before being managed by the CPAS (Centre Public d’Action Sociale). At the rear of the former hospital stand the buildings of a care home inaugurated in 2001. Previously, this site housed stables and a pigsty. The site also features an educational rose garden and a show garden which hosts an international competition for new rose varieties every year on the second weekend of September.

(6) The Strépy-Thieu funicular lift. The decision to widen the canal to a gauge of 1,300 tonnes was taken in 1957, involving the replacement of the four hydraulic lifts. Construction work on the new structure began in 1982, and it was opened to navigation on 30 August 2002. It is referred to as a ‘funicular’ lift because the gondoles carrying the boats are suspended from powerful cables and balanced by heavy counterweights. These cables have a diameter of 8 cm, enabling them to lift considerable loads in complete safety. This concrete colossus is 110 metres high and 135 metres long. It alone overcomes a height difference of 73.15 metres.
The lift is equipped with two independent gondolas, each 112 metres long by 12 metres wide, containing 8,000 tonnes of water. These gondolas can accommodate barges weighing up to 1,350 tonnes and move with power and precision at a speed of 20 centimetres per second, thanks to an ingenious system of pulleys and cables. The entire passage through the structure, including the manoeuvres to approach and exit, takes approximately 40 minutes.

7) Hydraulic lifts No. 4. Four hydraulic lifts enable a total height difference of 64.79 metres to be overcome on the Canal du Centre. Lifts Nos. 1, 2 and 3 each compensate for a height difference of 16 metres, whilst Lift No. 4, located at Thieu, overcomes a height difference of 16.75 metres. These installations operate on the principle of the lifts developed by Edwin Clark. The first hydraulic lift of this type was built at Anderton, in England. A hydraulic lift relies solely on the force of water to operate: it requires no other sources of energy.

The mechanism for pressurising the water is located in the tower. Inside the tower is a cylinder 50 cm in diameter, through which a piston moves; the upper end of this piston is attached to a 93-tonne weight, comprising 23 tonnes of metal for the structure and 70 tonnes of cast-iron ingots. The pressurised water forces the piston upwards within the cylinder. Pipes run from this accumulator to the systems installed in the lift. No energy source other than water is used.

When the two basins are of equal weight, they remain in equilibrium. When a boat enters one of the basins, it displaces a volume of water equivalent to its weight, in accordance with Archimedes’ principle. Thus, the system remains in balance. To initiate movement, an additional 50 cm of water (approximately 75 tonnes) is added to the upper basin, making it heavier. Opening the valve then allows the water to flow, which pushes the lower tank upwards, causing it to rise and the other to descend. The four hydraulic lifts have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

(12) Hydraulic lift no. 3. It operates on the same principle as lift no. 4 but has two buildings and two pressure-storage towers. Lift No. 4 has only one such tower. In fact, the building and tower on the left supply Lift No. 3, whilst the buildings on the right supply Lift No. 2, situated some 350 metres further upstream.

(14) Hydraulic lift No. 2. As explained for lift No. 3, lift No. 2 has neither a building nor a pressure-accumulation tower, as everything is managed by the buildings of lift No. 3. Pipes connect lift No. 2 to the mechanism located in lift No. 3.

(15) Pivoting bridge. Opposite St John the Baptist’s Church, a pivoting bridge allows barges to pass through. The bridge rests on a central pivot and swings sideways, like a door. Both sides of the bridge are perfectly balanced, and a counterweight is often incorporated to balance the mass and reduce the energy required to rotate the structure.

(17) Hydraulic Lift No. 1 It was inaugurated in 1888 by King Leopold II. However, the first trial runs caused severe flooding in neighbouring properties in Thieu and Bracquegnies, due to the numerous mine tunnels running beneath the canal. These incidents led to a halt in work for nearly 20 years. Despite this, Lift No. 1 had, in the meantime, become a real tourist attraction.

(21) Safety barrier. The enormous blade suspended above the canal is a safety system designed to protect against accidents in the canal, particularly near the Houdeng canal bridge and the Strépy-Thieu funicular lift. Should a problem arise with the infrastructure and water spill out of the canal, this blade descends into the canal to seal it off.