The Haute-Perche canal

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Presentation

The Haute-Perche canal, some 14 kilometres long, is a real "river" despite its small size and its mysterious title of "canal".

It rises at the back of the village of La Meule in Arthon-en-Retz, now known as Chaumes-en-Retz. After branching off to the west at the village of Haute-Perche, it meanders its way to the port of Pornic.

A little history:
The canal was named after the fact that in the 17th century, man was forced to make it wide enough for barges, flatboats and small barges to travel along its course. Since the Middle Ages, this had been a major source of goods traffic between the sea and the rural centre of the Pays de Retz: wood from Princé, tiles and terracotta from La Feuillardais, wine, timber and firewood, fertiliser, etc. At the dawn of the French Revolution, the Marquis de Brie-Serrant wanted to use it to dig a deep-draught canal linking the sea and the Loire, from Pornic to Buzay, to alleviate navigation difficulties in the estuary. This project never came to fruition, but the name of the canal was strengthened as a result.
The single-masted boats were powered by sail, but also by pole and oar. When the wind failed, several men could hoist them from the path along the bank. The canal has a lock or sluice at Pornic, at the end of the fishing port, under the 8 May 1945 bridge, which regulates the flow of water into the port.
Further upstream, there is another gate, that of Boismain, which regulates the water level in the marsh. Before the 12th century, in other words before the mill causeway was built to act as a barrier to rising seawater, the sea was able to have its effects right up to the outskirts of Arthon-en-Retz. The place names bear witness to this: the village of Le Port in Arthon, for example.
In the past, the Haute-Perche canal was one of the main entrances to the town of Pornic. Navigation was easier than the impassable land routes in winter. Today, the "Ria" development project is bringing back memories of the importance of this entrance to the town.

How to discover the canal on foot?
- Leaving from the port of Pornic or the bridge at Le Clion, follow the path parallel to the ria to reach here: the Haute-Perche canal circuit of around 12km, which can be done on foot or by bike (you'll need to allow for an additional 2km return trip to complete the walk).
- Another way to discover the bocage and surrounding countryside is from the village of Haute-Perche on the circuit of the same name: Circuit de Haute-Perche.
- Kayaking with Florent from Kayak Nomade, you can enjoy a lovely trip along the river to admire the fisheries that are still to be found on the banks and the landscapes between the bocage and the forest.
- Are you more of a cyclist? Our partner, Sea Bike und Sun, can provide you with a day's bike hire to make your discovery easier.

Practicalities :
- There are plenty of free car parks at the start of the walk, at Pornic harbour, Le Clion bridge or the village of Haute-Perche.
- In summer, it's the perfect time to cool off, as the waterside route is shaded for most of the way.
- In spring, there's no better way to observe nature as it wakes up, so take advantage of your outing to stop off at the Ria botanical garden in Pornic.

If you want to discover more, take advantage of the temporary exhibitions held every year at the Ria garden, which can be seen here in our calendar.

Information

TYPE OF SITE :
- River
TOWN :
- Pornic

Equipment/services

FACILITIES, ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES :
- Shaded area

Map

FICHE_INFO_SIMPLE_LIBELLE_DESTINATION

Le canal de Haute-Perche

Haute-Perche

Arthon-en-Retz

44320

CHAUMES EN RETZ

GPS coordinates

Latitude : 47.12931

Longitude : -1.96800

See The Haute-Perche canal on GoogleMaps

Distance from the center (church ) :
- 900 m. from the center of Pornic
- 15 km. from the center of Préfailles
- 12 km. from the center of St Michel Chef Chef
- 10 km. from the center of Les Moutiers
- 990 m. from the center Le Clion sur Mer
- 14 km du centre de Bourgneuf
- less than 1 Km. from the center

LIEN_ACCES_MOTEUR_RESA_FICHE

Contact details

The Haute-Perche canal

Haute-Perche

Arthon-en-Retz

44320

CHAUMES EN RETZ

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