Source de l'Escaut (Gouy)

Gouy

The Scheldt rises at Gouy, north of Saint-Quentin, at the foot of the abbey of Mont-Saint-Martin, at 97 metres above sea level (Wikipedia). According to the newspaper L'Avenir, a small basin laid out by the monks showcases the water, in a setting of “extraordinary tranquillity”; not far away, a child clinging to a stone dolphin delights the village children. The source has not always been there. According to Wikipedia, before the 17th century the Scheldt rose at Ponchaux, now a hamlet of Beaurevoir; at the beginning of the 18th century, drainage works in the Beaurevoir valley brought so much earth that the source disappeared from Ponchaux and reappeared some 4 km further on, at Gouy. L'Avenir reports the same tradition, “according to some authors”. The site also keeps the trace of an 18th-century drainage, the “canal des Torrents”. A panel recalls that the river was the object of political and religious rivalries, and that Vikings are said to have gone up it to its source: unverified account. The river is 355 km long (Wikipedia).

Getting there: At the foot of the abbey of Mont-Saint-Martin, about 2 km from the village of Gouy (L'Avenir). Coordinates: OpenStreetMap marker, consistent with the 49° 59′ 12.95″ N, 3° 15′ 59.40″ E of Wikipedia. Access and opening hours not verified.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound