Arenberg Pit

Sinking

Shafts Nos. 1 and 2 of the Arenberg Pit were sunk in 1900 using the cutting-shoe method. Shaft No. 1, with a diameter of five meters, was designated for extraction, while Shaft No. 2, located 60 meters to the northwest^{[note 2]} and measuring 3.65 meters in diameter,^{[A 3]} served for ventilation. The openings of both shafts were positioned at an altitude of 38 meters.^{[JD 1]} Coal-bearing strata were encountered at depths of 130 meters in the first shaft and 134 meters in the second.

The pit was named after Auguste Louis Albéric d’Arenberg, administrator of the Compagnie des mines d’Anzin.^{[A 3]}

Operation

Coal extraction at the Arenberg Pit began in June 1903. The site soon became one of the principal operations of the Compagnie des mines d’Anzin, producing 218,915 tons of coal in 1906, 302,000 tons in 1925, and 452,630 tons in 1930.^{[A 3]}

In 1936, the facilities of Shaft No. 1 were modernized. A new headframe with superimposed pulleys replaced the original structure, and a new engine room was constructed at a right angle to the previous one. The updated extraction system employed a Koepe pulley mechanism.^{[B 1]}

Concentration site

The Compagnie des mines d’Anzin was nationalized in 1946 and integrated into the Valenciennes Group. At that time, coal extraction and operations were conducted through Shaft No. 1, while Shaft No. 2 was used for ventilation and service functions. Following nationalization, plans were made to develop the site into a major extraction facility, leading to the sinking of Shaft No. 3–4 in 1954. This new shaft, with a diameter of 6.50 meters and double compartments, reached an extraction level of 334 meters. It was equipped with a four-pulley portal headframe identical to that of Pit No. 13–13 bis [fr] of the Béthune Group. From August 28, 1961, extraction was carried out using four three-deck cages designed to transport 3,000-liter mine cars. The compartments, numbered 3 and 4, operated independently.^[5]

Shaft No. 1 was subsequently repurposed as a service shaft for personnel and equipment, while Shaft No. 2 was used for backfilling, with calibrated shale lowered through a pipeline. Both Shafts Nos. 1 and 2 functioned as return-air shafts. A modern coal washing plant, capable of processing 3,000 tons of clean coal per day, was also commissioned in 1961, coinciding with the operation of Shaft No. 3–4.^[5]

The Arenberg site reached the highest production level in the Valenciennes Group, producing 3,000 tons of clean coal per day. In 1964, it employed 1,787 underground workers and 215 surface workers. In 1969, Shaft No. 1 was fitted with cable guidance and adapted for the movement of 3,000-liter mine cars, enabling shuttle transport between the 314- and 578-meter levels. It was subsequently used as a service shaft and ceased coal extraction to the surface.^[5]

On July 1, 1973, the Arenberg Pit was integrated into the Douai Production Unit. The 1975 energy crisis and the increase in oil prices led to a revision of the Coal Plan, which had initially planned the site’s closure for around 1979 or 1980. Shaft No. 3–4, connected at the 494-meter level for compartment No. 3 and originally measuring 4.12 meters in diameter down to the 578-meter level, was widened to 6.50 meters and deepened to 612 meters in October 1975. The first coal from a panel of the Melchior seam was extracted from this level on December 27, 1977. The washing plant was closed on July 1, 1975, after processing twenty million tons of raw coal from the Arenberg Pit, as well as from the Saint Mark [fr] and Agache [fr] pits between 1968 and 1972.^[5]

In 1982, plans were made to deepen Shaft No. 3–4 to 670 meters in order to access an additional two million tons of coal reserves. A descending gallery with a 13% slope was excavated from the 578-meter level to the new depth, extending the shaft by 90 meters. For the first time in a French mine, the excavation work was carried out using a tunnel-boring machine (TBM). The TB 500 model, designed by the Bouygues company, was delivered in sections in September 1983 and began operating on January 9, 1984. Intended to excavate three kilometers of galleries to reach the deposit, the machine achieved an average rate of twelve meters per day by April, surpassing its initial target of ten. Compartments Nos. 3 and 4 were connected to the 670-meter level on August 2 and 3, 1986, and a scraper-chain coalface was established shortly afterward in the Robert 1er plat seam. The project also served as a technical test for future use of tunnel-boring machines in the Channel Tunnel.^[5]

On March 24, 1989, at 11 a.m., a ceremony attended by the press and regional officials marked the symbolic hoisting of the final mine carts. The last actual extraction took place a week later, on March 31, behind closed doors. This event marked the closure of the last operational shaft in the Valenciennes coalfield, which had produced a total of 31,845,000 tons of coal. All four shafts were backfilled by mid-1989.^[5]

Redevelopment

In the early 21st century, Charbonnages de France identified and marked the heads of Arenberg Shafts Nos. 1, 2, and 3–4, where methane vents were installed. The French Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM) conducts annual inspections at the site.^[5]

The pit, largely preserved, has been used as a filming location for several productions, including Germinal, Moi, Louis, enfant de la mine [fr], La Compagnie des glaces, L’Affaire Salengro [fr], and La Vie devant elles [fr]. The site was fully renovated,^[6] and its preservation was largely due to the 1992 filming of Germinal by Claude Berri, which prevented its planned demolition.^[7] Some of the film sets from these productions remain in place.^[8]

The musical Arenberg, written by Vincent Handrey [fr] and commissioned by the town of Wallers and the Porte du Hainaut Urban Community, was presented on September 12 and 13, 2003, at the Arenberg mining site. The production, featuring around 120 participants, was staged and directed by Sylvie Dervaux as an adaptation of the Terres de Mineurs show into a sound-and-light performance.^[9]

The former Arenberg mining site, including Shaft No. 1 with its headframe, hoisting houses, and technical equipment; Shaft No. 2 with its headframe, surface structures, hoisting and compressor buildings, workshops, ventilation system remains, and the air gallery connecting Shafts 1 and 2; and Shaft No. 3–4 with its headframe, hoisting house, winding system, and symmetrical hoisting-engine buildings, was listed as a Monument historique on February 22, 2010.^[10] The designation also covers auxiliary buildings such as the changing rooms (salle des pendus), lamp room, baths, connecting walkway, electrical substation, and the surrounding land, with the exception of the dynamite store. Initial protective measures were introduced in 1992, and the protected perimeter was expanded in 2010. The Arenberg Pit is one of 353 elements across 109 sites [fr] inscribed [fr] on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012, as part of site No. 15.^[11]

On September 25, 2015, the Arenberg Creative Mine [fr] film production center was inaugurated. The facility includes a recording studio, a television set, and a motion-capture system with a green screen. It occupies the restored buildings of Shafts Nos. 1 and 2, complemented by a modern extension.^[12][13]

• 
  The headframes of shaft No. 1, the old and the new.
• 
  Shaft No. 1.
• 
  Shaft No. 2.
• 
  Shafts 2 and 1.
• 
  The switchgear room.
• 
  Shafts 3 and 4.

Spoil heap no. 160, Arenberg

Spoil heap No. 160, Arenberg, located in Wallers, is a conical mining heap associated with the Arenberg Pit. Originally reaching a height of 100 meters, it began to be quarried in 1980, leaving only its base intact.^[14]

Spoil heap no. 171, Mare à Goriaux

Spoil heap No. 171, Mare à Goriaux, located in Wallers and Raismes, is a flat mining heap associated with the Arenberg Pit. Measuring about 20 meters in height and extending nearly two kilometers, it has been fully preserved.^[15] Together with the Mare à Goriaux [fr] mining subsidence pond, it is one of 353 elements across 109 sites [fr] inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012, as part of site No. 15.^[11]

Arenberg Estate

The Arenberg estate was constructed beginning in 1900 to the east of the pithead and its railway, on the territory of Wallers and, for a few houses, Raismes. Built in several phases up to 1923, the estate primarily consists of semi-detached two-family houses arranged along the streets.^[16]

Nouveau Monde Estate

The Nouveau Monde estate in Wallers was initiated in 1906, located to the west of the pit and beyond its railway line. Construction continued until 1930, and the estate consists of semi-detached two-family houses.^[16]

Bellaing Estate

The Bellaing estate in Bellaing was constructed between the two World Wars following an orthogonal layout. Most buildings contain four dwellings each and are aligned at the center of their plots, except for those located at the edges of the estate.^[16]

Bosquet Estate

The Bosquet estate in Wallers, along with the Drève estate, was developed by the Valenciennes Group. Construction occurred in two phases, in 1947 and 1967. The estate features a road network of both curved and straight streets, and the houses each contain one or two dwellings with one or two stories.^[16]

Drève Estate

The Drève estate in Wallers was constructed by the Valenciennes Group between 1948 and 1950. Its road network comprises both curved and straight streets. The residential buildings each contain two dwellings, distributed over one or two floors.^[16]

The Director’s House

The director’s house was built near the mine shaft.

Saint Barbara Church

Saint Barbara Church was built at the center of the housing estate. It is among the 353 components across 109 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012.^[11]

Schools

The first schools in the estate were constructed to the south, near the railway branch serving the mine. Additional schools were opened in the 1930s closer to the pit. These schools are part of the 353 components across 109 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012.^[11]

Domestic science school

The façades and roofs of the former domestic science school have been listed as Monuments historiques since December 1, 2009.^[17] The school is also among the 353 components across 109 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012.^[11]

Community hall

The façades and roofs of the community hall, along with the vestibule and entrance drum décor, doors, and stage wall with its sculpted decoration, have been listed as Monuments historiques since December 3, 2009.^[18] The hall is also among the 353 components across 109 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012.^[11]

Pharmacy

The pharmacy is located at the center of the estates, alongside the medical health center. It is among the 353 components across 109 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 30, 2012.^[11]

Cemetery

A new cemetery was established to the east of the housing estates, as the Wallers cemetery is located 3,600 meters to the southwest.^{[note 2]}