The Arenberg Headframe

Originally

It's the story of an alliance, forged at the dawn of the 20th century, between the toil of men and the riches of the earth. Deep within the mining basin, nearly 700 metres underground, tireless labour was dedicated to extracting this valuable coal - a source of pride for miners and the entire Hauts-de-France region. Amidst this harsh industrial terrain, the Arenberg headframe stands tall, soaring 37 metres into the sky.

Throughout the centuries

500 million years. That is how long it takes for a mining basin to undergo its transformation and ‘carbonise’ itself, thereby offering the protagonists of the 19th century a vital raw material for the Industrial Revolution. In 1899, the Wallers - Arenberg slag heap came into being, named in honour of the family who owned the land. The following years marked the golden age of mining, with over 600 headframes rising across the Nord basin alone.

Nowadays

Since the birth of cinema, the iconic Arenberg site has been a magnet for both the industry’s casual enthusiasts and professionals alike. From Claude Berri's "Germinal" in 1992 to its UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2012, Arenberg has gracefully evolved whilst staying rooted in its heritage. Once a symbol of miners' solidarity and later a hub of innovation for labourers, it has, since 2015, transformed into a centre of excellence for image and digital media.

Did you know?

• The Hell of the North: The Arenberg Trench is a segment of the legendary Paris-Roubaix cycling race. A well-known stage for cyclists, this 2.3 km stretch navigates through cobbled paths in a forest. A challenge for both the body and mind, it is one of the race's toughest legs, rated 5 stars for difficulty.

• 90 hectares of water: the ‘Mare à Goriaux’, which appeared in 1968 following subsidence caused by pit mining, is an ornithological reserve. It comprises a slag heap, pond, reed beds and deciduous and coniferous woodland.

• A name that predates the French Revolution: the mine was named in honour of Auguste Louis of Arenberg, an administrator of the Anzin Mining Company, one of the earliest large French industrial companies, established in 1757.

• Why the headframe? The headframe is a structure that adorns a mine shaft. Historically made of wood and several metres long, it has evolved into a lattice steel structure riveted together, standing about sixty metres high.

• The site rescued by... a film: "Germinal," a film adaptation of Émile Zola's work directed by Claude Berri in 1992, used the site for a set less than three years after its use as a mining extraction shaft ended. It was the same year that the Arenberg trench was listed as a Historical Monument.

• The Arenberg Creative Mine (ACM): This centre for audiovisual and digital creation was founded in 2015 and sponsored by filmmaker Costa Gavras. Serving as a guardian of local craftsmanship, the centre cultivates new local expertise in creative industries. It enables students from the University of Valenciennes to offer their perspective on the world at the heart of an applied research centre.