Nantes-Brest canal

NANTES-BREST CANAL by Robert Potter

photo is copyright

Brittany enjoys a total of 1250 kilometres of coastline, which is nearly a quarter of the overall coastline of France. 

So what possible benefits would there be for a canal as an inland link from east to west Brittany?  The canal was first considered in the 16th century, but it was only in the 19th century that building commenced. 

The roads in Bretagne were poor or non-existent and the Royal Navy had successfully managed to blockade all the major French Atlantic ports.  The canal became Napoleon's vision, and he commissioned the building of an inland canal from east to west to connect the arsenals of the important towns at Nantes and Brest. 

Part of the overall plan was that the English Channel – Atlantic Ocean be linked, running north-south through Dinan, Rennes, Redon and Roche-Bernard.   These two canals made the inland connection of the strategic ports of St Malo, Lorient, Nantes and Brest possible.

The canals were dug between 1811 and 1842. The long and arduous work was performed by prisoners of war and convicts, many of whom perished during the construction.  Ironically the canal was still being built at the time that Napoleon died on St Helena in 1821.

The canal network covers more than 600km and the Nantes-Brest alone is 360km, with 237 locks.  Prior to the arrival of the railway, the canals were used to transport goods on sailing boats, and barges pulled by horses driven along the towpaths, which still remain.

Up to the second world war the ports of Redon, Hennebont, Dinan, and Port-Launay were enlivened by heavy river traffic. They were the crossroads between two worlds, the maritime and the river; the quaysides in these ports were transit points for goods such as sand, stone, wood and fertiliser.  River navigation thus made a great contribution to the expansion of the major commercial seaports in Brittany.

Between the two world wars, competition from the railway increased and the appearance on the roads of the first trucks heralded the decline of river navigation. The building of the hydro-electric dam at Lac Guerlédan in the 1920s chopped the canal in two, leaving a whole section un-navigable by barge. 

Was the end nigh?

 

photo is copyright

 

Tourism on the canal

There is no doubt that river tourism has given the Breton waterways a new lease of life.  The network of more than 600 km of navigable waterways remain, now reserved solely for leisure activities and boating. 

The Lac de Guerledan, where the canal was chopped in two, is now the largest lake in Brittany.  It is a huge expanse of water 12 kms long, where virtually all nautical sports can be found.  Beaches and tourist facilities have been constructed at various points around the lake. I don't know the canal so well in the Finistère department, the section north and west of the Lac de Guerledan.  However, plans are clearly afoot:

 

Lifts Proposed to Bypass Guerledan Dam.  ( February  2001)

The construction several decades ago of the hydro-electric dam at Guerledan blocked the Nantes-Brest Canal.  Most of the Brest section became derelict. However, in the last few years, interest in re-establishing through navigation has grown. The Finistère Department has overseen the restoration of the canal north of the dam.  But bypassing the dam remains a challenge.

Two approaches are under consideration: 

The cheaper, at about £2 million, is a dry cradle lift.  The boats are floated into a wheeled cradle, which is hauled up (and down) the slope on a dedicated track, entering the water at the other end so the boat can float out.

The more expensive is a conventional lift involving moving water-filled tanks in which the boats float.  Such a lift at Guerledan is estimated to cost about £16 million.

Or perhaps both. It is possible that a cradle lift (which has relatively low traffic capacity) might be built first, with a conventional one replacing it later if traffic warrants.

Alas, I have heard no more. (2007)

 

Redon is to the east of the Nantes Brest Canal, and a good place to start.  Although well inland, at one time sea-going ships could reach its port at high tide.  It is also a major crossroads with the river Vilaine and the north - south route to Dinan, St Malo and the English Channel.

Travelling north, you will come to the riverside towns of Malestroit and Josselin.  These are both medieval towns, with picturesque centres of half-timbered houses.  They can be found in every tourist guide of Brittany.

Glide past the Moulin de Cadoret, (part of which is now a creperie) to Les Forges, with its chateau, built in 1756 by the Duc de Rohan and well worth a visit!  Numerous locks take you to Rohan, with its port de plaisance, beach, and on summer nights a floating theatre.

The next major town is also the second major junction on the Nantes Brest Canal.  Northwards is the route to Brest, now stopped by the Barrage at Guerledan.  The route southwards is by the River Blavet, eventually joining the sea at Lorient (to the Orient).  

When the waterway opened, the small medieval centre of Pontivy was expanded, redesigned and given broad avenues to fit its new role. It was even briefly renamed Napoléonville, in honour of the man responsible for its new prosperity.  The canal and the river Blavet are imposing features flowing closely by the town centre.

 

On a personal note, we are just ten minutes away from the Nantes Brest canal, in the stretch between Josselin and Rohan.  The canal here is much wider than its UK counterparts, and we have walked our dogs for many miles along the towpaths. What I can never understand is why it is so underused.  We rarely see another person, let alone a boat.  The towpaths are well maintained and must be a cyclists dream. The frequent lockkeepers houses are well maintained, and the locks are always beautifully decorated with flowers. 

The locks are just operated during the day, usually by enthusiastic teenagers.  What a lovely summer job!

 

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