Channel of Berry

The channel of Berry , (more precisely channel of the Duke of Berry ), carried out by the chief engineer of the Bridge-and-Roadways Joseph-Michel Dutens between 1808 and 1840, was used until in 1945; in 1955, it is downgraded and alienated. This channel with the characteristic to be three channels in only one, since it consists of three distinct branches which meet in Fontblisse, commune of Bannegon (Expensive). It connects the following cities in the departments Allier, of the Cher and the Loir-et-Cher:

Three branches of the channel of Berry

Connect southern: Montlucon - Fontblisse via Small valley-in-Sully and Saint-Amand-Montrond

Connect north-eastern: Fontblisse - Marseilles-lès-Aubigny via Sancoins It is by this branch that the channel is connected to the remainder of the network, via the Latéral channel in the Loire.

Connect north-western: Fontblisse - Walnut tree-on-Expensive via Dun-on-Auron, Bourges, Mehun-on-Yèvre and Vierzon

The north-western branch is prolonged by the Cher channeled until Tours (the first lock is with Saint-Aignan-on-Expensive)

Let us mention in more three small junctions:

the channel of Tessiaux towards Dun-on-Auron (connects north-western)
the channel Saint-Louis with Torteron (connects north-eastern)
the channel of Mézières, with Bourges (connects north-western)

A small gauge

The choice by Dutens of a small gauge was dictated to him by the weakness of the water resources of the area of Sancoins, where is the culminating point of the channel. It took as a starting point the British network conceived for boats of a port of 40 tons. Moreover, the land influence being less important, such a channel cost less to build. But this small gauge very quickly appeared a bad choice which was going to seriously handicap this prohibited channel in fact to the larger boats, and in particular with the Flemish barges of gauge Freycinet.

In spite of that, the channel of Berry largely contributed to the economic development of Montlucon at the 19th century.

This small gauge involved in fact the design of boats especially adapted to this channel, the " berrichons" with the high limits of size of 27,50 m X 2,60 m, and being able to carry 60 tons in the channel of Berry, and 100 tons on the other channels.

Remarkable works

On the southern branch: tubular bridges of Chantemerle, Queugne, the Cross and Sliced it (this last being one of largest of France, with two steps of the Ainay-the-Old castle of ), double lock of Queugne (the only one of the channel), drawbridge of Small valley-in-Sully
in the vicinity: Ainay-the-Old castle of , Gallo-Roman vestiges of Drevant

On the north-eastern branch: sliced of Augy, tanks of Goule, Pirot and of the Marmande

On the north-western branch: tubular bridge of Châtillon, sites of Bourges, Mehun-on-Yèvre and Vierzon, water station of Walnut tree-on-Expensive

Towards the rebirth of the channel?

Downgraded then alienated as from 1955, the channel was sold for frank a symbolic system of the kilometer with the bordering communes which did of them what good seemed to them then. Some preserved it completely or partially out of water, others gave up it with the undergrowth, others finally stopped it, built above. This " saucissonage" its rehabilitation currently makes difficult, whereas it would be a showpiece of river tourism in France, in spite of and even perhaps thanks to its so particular gauge which confers a single charm to him.

These difficulties do not stop Association dynamics for the Reopening of the Channel of Berry (ARECABE) which works since 1996 for this progressive reopening. Already, a portion of 12 km with 5 locks of Selles-sur-Cher with Walnut tree-on-Expensive refonctionne since the years 1990 (thus prolonged towards Turns by Expensive channeled), and another of 3 km with 2 locks functions in Vierzon. And in several places of the drawbridges were rehabilitated, facilitating the navigation of small electric boats rented per hour or the half-day.

External bonds

Traced and short history of the channel
the Museum of the Channel of Berry
Dictionary of the rivers and channels in the Babel Project: the channel of Berry
Association for the Reopening of the Channel of Berry

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