La Nouvelle branch

Canal de Jonction at Sallèles d'Aude

The La Nouvelle branch (French: embranchement de La Nouvelle)^{[n 1]} is a 37.3-kilometre (23.2 mi) ^[1] lateral branch of the Canal du Midi in Aude, south-central France which runs from the Canal du Midi through Narbonne and on to the Mediterranean. It is composed of three waterways: the first 5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) is the Canal de Jonction from the Canal du Midi to the Aude, the second section is 800 metres (2,625 ft) of the Aude itself and the third is the 31.6 kilometres (19.6 mi) Canal de la Robine which enters the Mediterranean at Port-la-Nouvelle.^[2] The La Nouvelle branch is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Canal du Midi and is managed by the French navigation authority, Voies navigables de France.

Canal de Jonction

Canal de Jonction
legend Canal du Midi Cesse Footbridge Cesse Lock Truilhas Lock Empare Lock Argeliers Lock Saint Cyr Lock Sallèles-d'Aude Footbridge Sallèles Lock Sallèles Bridge Gailhousty Bridge Gailhousty Lock River Aude Canal de la Robine

The Canal de Jonction runs in a dead straight line and was built in 1776 to provide access to Narbonne from the Canal du Midi via the Canal de la Robine.^[3] The Canal de Jonction enters the Aude some 800 m upstream from where the Canal de la Robine leaves it. Prior to 1776 the Canal du Midi port for Narbonne was Le Somail, 13.8 kilometres (8.6 mi) by road from the city centre.^[2]

Locks on the Canal de Jonction

Lock number[n 2]	Lock name[2]	Coordinates (with links to maps and satellite images)	Number of chambers	Distance from the Canal du Midi[2]		Image	Elevation
				km	mi		ft	m
1	Cesse Lock	43°16′55″N 2°55′26″E / 43.281825°N 2.923963°E / 43.281825; 2.923963 (Cesse Lock)	1	0.3	0.19		106	32
2	Truilhas Lock	43°16′38″N 2°55′44″E / 43.277101°N 2.929015°E / 43.277101; 2.929015 (Truilhas Lock)	1	1.0	0.62		91	28
3	Empare Lock	43°16′20″N 2°56′03″E / 43.272307°N 2.934109°E / 43.272307; 2.934109 (Empare Lock)	1	1.6	0.99		85	26
4	Argeliers Lock	43°16′03″N 2°56′21″E / 43.267613°N 2.939171°E / 43.267613; 2.939171 (Argeliers Lock)	1	2.3	1.4		79	24
5	Saint-Cyr Lock	43°15′46″N 2°56′40″E / 43.262791°N 2.944323°E / 43.262791; 2.944323 (Saint-Cyr Lock)	1	3.0	1.9		72	22
6	Sallèles Lock	43°15′26″N 2°56′59″E / 43.257163°N 2.949848°E / 43.257163; 2.949848 (Sallèles Lock)	1	3.7	2.3		66	20
7	Gailhousty Lock	43°14′52″N 2°57′21″E / 43.247839°N 2.955702°E / 43.247839; 2.955702 (Gailhousty Lock)	1	4.9	3.0		50	15

The Aude

Canal de Jonction meets the Aude

The Aude is only traversed for 800 metres (870 yd) between the two canals however on leaving the Canal de Jonction it is necessary to navigate upstream first before turning and coming back downstream against the opposite bank to the Canal de la Robine in order to avoid shallows caused by silt banks in the middle of the channel.^[2]

Canal de la Robine

Canal de la Robine
legend Canal de Jonction River Aude Moussoulens Lock Pont Vieux, Moussoulens Raonel Lock Gua Lock Footbridge Footbridge Railway Bridge Escoute Bridge Carmes Bridge Voltaire Bridge Narbonne Lock Merchants' Bridge, Narbonne Footbridge Sainte Catherine Bridge Footbridge Mandirac Lock Road Bridge A9 motorway Sainte-Lucie Lock Railway Bridge Port-la-Nouvelle Mediterranean Sea

Following its opening in 1681, the commercial success of the Canal du Midi was such that Narbonne traders demanded improved access to it, so in 1686 the Canal de la Robine was constructed by Vauban as a lockless open cut following an abandoned course of the Aude.^[2] The northern end of the canal is at the Aude at Moussoulens just south of Sallèles-d'Aude from where goods were transported by land to the Canal du Midi at Le Somail — a journey of approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi). A century later, when the Canal de Jonction was constructed, the Canal de la Robine was straightened and six single locks were built to deal with the more severe gradients, Narbonne finally had direct waterway access to the Canal du Midi.

From the Aude the canal passes through the centre of Narbonne and under the Merchants' Bridge (fr: le pont des Marchands) which is one of the few bridges in France which is still lined with houses. From there it runs through Bages and the Ile Sainte Lucie nature reserve before meeting the Mediterranean at Port-la-Nouvelle.

Locks on the Canal de la Robine

Lock number[n 2]	Lock name[2]	Coordinates (with links to maps and satellite images)	Number of chambers	Distance from the Canal du Midi [2]		Image	Elevation
				km	mi		ft	m
8	Moussoulens Lock	43°14′42″N 2°57′39″E / 43.244865°N 2.960728°E / 43.244865; 2.960728 (Moussoulens Lock)	1	5.8	3.6		44	13
9	Raonel Lock	43°13′41″N 3°00′13″E / 43.228013°N 3.003509°E / 43.228013; 3.003509 (Raonel Lock)	1	9.8	6.1		26	7.9
10	Gua Lock	43°11′29″N 3°00′04″E / 43.191271°N 3.001063°E / 43.191271; 3.001063 (Gua Lock)	1	14.2	8.8		30	9.1
11	Narbonne Lock	43°11′03″N 3°00′06″E / 43.184116°N 3.001693°E / 43.184116; 3.001693 (Narbonne Lock)	1	15.3	9.5		24	7.3
12	Mandirac Lock	43°07′19″N 3°01′51″E / 43.122056°N 3.030913°E / 43.122056; 3.030913 (Mandirac Lock)	1	24.1	15.0		13	4.0
13	Sainte-Lucie Lock	43°02′50″N 3°03′21″E / 43.047141°N 3.055856°E / 43.047141; 3.055856 (Sainte-Lucie Lock)	1	34.3	21.3		9	2.7

Notes

1. ^ It is also sometimes referred to as branche de La Nouvelle or embranchement de Port-la-Nouvelle.
2. ^ ^{a b} Lock numbers are as given in the appendix of the 1994 edition From Sea to Sea by L. T. C. Rolt.

References

1. ^ McKnight, Hugh (2005). Cruising French Waterways. Sheridan House. pp. 62. ISBN 9781574092103. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Gm63fwrQ3gsC&pg=PA259&lpg=PA259&dq=%22nouvelle+branch%22&source=web&ots=GLfyVk31Pf&sig=_i2FWvxnd0UY9lcbLyrgO-VYWiE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Rolt, L. T. C. (1973). From Sea to Sea: An Illustrated History of the Canal du Midi. Allen Lane. ISBN 2-910185-02-08. 
3. ^ "Le Canal de Jonction et la Robine de Narbonne" (in French). canaldumidi.com. http://www.canalmidi.com/aufildlo/narbonne.html. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 

See also

• Locks on the Canal du Midi
• Navigation guide Places, ports and moorings on the embranchement.