Pont des Trous Tournai, Belgium Doornik || Bridge of Holes

Tournai Pont des Trous in Tournai, Belgium, also known as the Bridge of Holes, was considered one of only three 13th century military bridges in the world. It was considered the largest water gate from that period of time that is still conserved. Its central arch was heavily damaged during WWII by the British Army. The arch portion was demolished in August of 2019.
History
Tournai was founded by the Romans and was fortified with a wall. ----- The Roman wall was later repaired in the 10th century due to Norman attacks. With the city and population growing the Roman wall was replaced with a new set of walls in the 12th century to protect the city. It was during the late 13th century that a larger second wall was built to protect and defend the city.
The third enclosure of Tournai featured a total of 18 gates, and the Pont des Trous bridge functioned as one of two water gates, which are defensive structure and protected the course of the river Scheldt through the city.
The bridges’ name comes from the presence of a lock located nearby that was called ‘Les Trous’, meaning holes, whose the name was applied to the bridge as well.
The bridge’s construction took close to 50 years, partially due to circumstance, and it replaced a previous wooden structure.
The tower on the left bank, which is the Bourdiel tower, dates from 1281 when the communal outer wall reached the river. This is the tower that we walk through.
Once Tournai purchased the Bruille quarter, which was on the other side of the river, the city was able to build on the right bank of the river and continue encircling the city.
The tower of the right bank Thieulerie tower was built in 1302.
Around 1329 a curtain spanned the river, providing us with the completed bridge.
The towers are flat on the city side while the countryside is rounded in order to better resist cannonballs.
It is a rare existing example of defences where a grill was dropped into the river to block enemy boats from entering the city.
The bridge saw a lot fighting with Tournai under siege eight times beginning in 1303 through 1745.
At the beginning of the Second World War, the central arch was dynamited by the British Army. The British troops retreated within the week to the French port of Dunkirk, becoming part of the historic evacuation from Dunkirk back to Britain
In 1948 during the reconstruction of the bridge, it was raised by 2.40 m to allow more modern barges to get through. This required the arches to be taken down and then rebuilt with the middle arch widened.
Walk Through Tower
The towers are flat on the city side and rounded towards the countryside to better withstand cannon balls.
On the wall facing the countryside you’ll notice several items in here that clearly show the tower’s military.
The great walls are three meters thick.
There are arrow slits facing outward from the city.
The doors are rather narrow and were not used for normal traffic.
Demolition
The demolition of the central arches is part of a project to create a canal that would connect France to the low countries.
The project will create a 105-kilometre-long canal, connecting the Seine and Scheldt rivers. It would allow for increased transportation of trade goods between between Paris, Belgium and the Netherlands.
As of the time of the video all reports point to a new medieval bridge with a wider central arch, the two small arches to the sides, and the remaining towers as they are now.
Disclaimer: This video is intended for educational and general informational purposes only. It is not considered a substitute for professional advice. Any action, or inaction, taken by you based on the information contained in this video is at your own risk.