CANAL DE LA MARTINIÈRE
Canal de la Martinière with 2 monumental locks at Le Pellerin, with a nice setting for a walk or a picnic
It is an ideal place for walking with its kilometers of towpaths and its large shaded banks. It is also a nice place to have a picnic by the water, sheltered by willows and poplars. Just next to it is a playground (with swings and zip line). This canal was built between 1882 and 1892 to alleviate the silting up of the Loire River. Located in the communes of Le Pellerin and Frossay, the canal extends for about fifteen kilometers parallel to the river. Two monumental locks with sluices were installed at La Martinière and Le Carnet, each with its own machinery. They allowed the gates to open in 60 seconds and close in 90 seconds. The success was great and the annual traffic met the expectations of the port of Nantes. Unfortunately, the perpetual increase in the tonnage of ships as well as the new techniques of dredging the Loire River made this success ephemeral and the construction of the canal obsolete. It was closed to navigation 20 years later, in 1913. Decommissioned as a maritime route in 1959, it became the property of the Union des syndicats des marais du sud Loire in 1962. Today, an association, the Accam, ensures the preservation of the site.
Today, art has been invited into the landscape with Erwin Wurm's perennial work, Misconceivable, also known as the Bateau mou, created for the Estuaire 2007 art biennial. This 9-meter sailboat literally plunging into the water has something to surprise and arouse the curiosity of walkers.
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Chemin pédestre sur 10 km faisant le tour du canal. Lieu de détente et de tranquillité.
Possibilité de pique nique avec aménagement de tables.
Superbe lieu de pêche ( Carnassiers ) et pêche de nuit (Carpes).
Possibilité de visite de la machinerie faisant fonctionner l'écluse.