Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The canal of Lalinde, 15 km long, was dug between 1838 and 1843 under the direction of engineer Pierre Vauthier to bypass the dangerous rapids of the Dordogne, such as the Grand Thoret and the Gratusse. Inaugurated in 1844, he allowed the passage of the first gabars and structured the life of the batelière, despite the costs deemed excessive by King Louis-Philippe I. The canal includes nine locks, including a spectacular triple group in Tuileries, as well as lockhouses and bridges.

Powered by the Mauzac dam, the canal traversed six villages, including Baneuil, where the lock of the Borie-Basse is located. It was used until World War II, despite railway competition in 1879. In 1926, its decline began with its cancellation of the waterways, and in 1964, a tragic accident during the Tour de France led to the partial use of the canal at Port-de-Couze.

In 1992, the canal was granted to the Union intercommunal de Lalinde. After rehabilitation work in 2014, a 4 km stretch between Port-de-Couze and Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde returned navigable. In 2016, repairs were undertaken on the canal bridge of Saint-Capraise and the locks of Tuilières, marking a desire to preserve this emblematic work.

The canal is also marked by local legends, such as that of the coulobre de Lalinde, a dragon buried by Saint Front, explaining according to tradition the red rocks of the rapids. In 1926, the residents, whether paper or millers, created a company to maintain its exploitation, emphasizing its historical economic role.

Several elements of the canal, such as the Tuilières locks or the Villeneuve Tuilery waterworks, are listed as historical monuments. Its 29 m by 6 m gauge and its works (bridges, refit basins) testify to the engineering of the 19th century. Today it represents a major tourist heritage in the Dordogne.

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