Fosse Ledoux, Coal mine in Condé-sur-l'Escaut, France
Fosse Ledoux is a coal mine in Condé-sur-l'Escaut with two shafts sunk in the early 1900s, one of which still shows the original steel headframe. This metal structure above the shaft opening is what remains of the mining equipment that once dominated the site.
The mine opened in 1905 and operated until 1988, spanning nearly a century of coal extraction. It survived two world wars and continued working through major industrial transformations in France.
Former workers' housing around the site shows how mining communities were built as tight settlements around the pit. These homes remain visible today as a reminder of the social structure that centered on the mine's operation.
The site is visible from a distance due to the large spoil heaps surrounding the area. Visiting allows you to explore the remaining infrastructure and understand how mining changed the local landscape.
Four large spoil heaps surround the former pit and have become dominant features of the landscape. Many visitors do not realize that these man-made mounds are the accumulated waste from decades of coal extraction.
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