Canal de Caen à la Mer ( en, Canal from Caen to the sea, also called the "Caen Canal") is a short

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

in the department (préfecture) of

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, connecting the

Port of Caen The Port of Caen (French: ''Port de Caen)'' is the harbour and port authority of the Norman city of Caen, France. The port of Caen is composed of a series of basins on the Canal de Caen à la Mer, linking Caen to Ouistreham, 15 km (9.3 ...

, in the city of Caen, downstream to the town of

Ouistreham Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France. Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders the ...

and the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

. Running from north north-east to south south-west, the canal runs parallel to the

Orne River The Orne () is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is long. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre. The ...

which feeds it, it is long, and comprises two

locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

. Digging began in 1837, and when it was opened on August 23, 1857 it was only deep. It was deepened in 1920. The canal began with the dock at St. Peter's Basin (Bassin Saint-Pierre), in the downtown area of Caen. The canal is made up of a group of

quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( mooring locatio ...

s and docks. The current depth is , and the width can reach in the dock of Calix). The quay at

Blainville-sur-Orne Blainville-sur-Orne (, literally ''Blainville on Orne'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Geography Blainville-sur-Orne is on the west side of the Canal de Caen à la Mer, just south of B� ...

measures more than . It acts as the fourth commercial French port for the importation of exotic wood, generally coming from the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in ...

. It also loads and unloads

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

, and

construction material This is a list of building materials. Many types of building materials are used in the construction industry to create buildings and structures. These categories of materials and products are used by architects and construction project managers ...

. The port exports cereals that are produced in the area and has a silo capacity of 33,000 tons. One of the two locks at the port of Ouistreham, at the mouth of the canal, can accommodate

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s of more than length. Also at Blainville is a

Renault Trucks Renault Trucks is a French commercial truck manufacturer with corporate headquarters at Saint-Priest near Lyon. Originally part of Renault, it has been a subsidiary of the Volvo Group since 2001. From its beginnings in 1978 to 2002, the comp ...

manufacturing plant. The plant is across the canal from the town, to the southeast, between the canal and the Orne River. Just across the river from the plant is the community of

Colombelles Colombelles () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is located on the Canal de Caen à la Mer. Population The population of this sleepy little village mushroomed after August Thyssen boug ...

. The channel passes the side of the

Château de Bénouville The Château de Bénouville is a building in Bénouville, Calvados, Bénouville, Normandy, near Caen (northern France). It was designed in 1769 in architecture, 1769 by architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux and built in 1770-74 and 1776-80 at the reque ...

. The famous

Pegasus Bridge Pegasus Bridge, originally called the Bénouville Bridge after the neighbouring village, is a road crossing over the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham in Normandy. The original bridge, built in 1934, is now a war memorial and is the cent ...

(aka ''"Ham"''), from D-Day, June 6, 1944, crossed the canal near the village of Bénouville. The canal was considered both tactically and strategically important during the opening phases of the

Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

, as it was located on the eastern flank of the Allied beachhead area. The bridge was replaced in 1994.

Canal route

(From mouth to terminus) *

* Bénouville *

Hérouville-Saint-Clair Hérouville-Saint-Clair () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is a suburb of the city of Caen, and lies adjacent to it in a northeasterly direction, along the west side of the Canal de C ...

* Caen

References

External link

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Canal de Caen a la Mer Canals in France Buildings and structures in Caen Buildings and structures in Calvados (department) Transport in Normandy Canals opened in 1857 1857 establishments in France

Canal route

See also

References

External link