Béthune | |
---|---|
Country | France |
Basin features | |
Main source |
Gaillefontaine 160 m (520 ft) |
River mouth |
Arques River 49°53′29″N 1°7′51″E / 49.89139°N 1.13083°ECoordinates: 49°53′29″N 1°7′51″E / 49.89139°N 1.13083°E |
Progression | Arques→ English Channel |
Basin size | 307 km2 (119 sq mi) |
Physical characteristics | |
Length | 61 km (38 mi) |
Discharge |
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The Béthune is a river of Normandy, France, 61 kilometres (38 mi) in length, flowing through the department of Seine-Maritime and it is a tributary of the Arques River. The French Sandre regulators however, consider the Béthune as the Arques for all its length.
The river’s source is at the village of Gaillefontaine near to Forges-les-Eaux. Its valley is wholly within the pays de Bray. Its course takes it past the communes of Neufchâtel-en-Bray, Mesnières-en-Bray, Bures-en-Bray, Osmoy-Saint-Valery, Saint-Vaast-d'Équiqueville, Dampierre-Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Aubin-le-Cauf and finally Arques-la-Bataille where it joins the Eaulne and the Varenne Rivers to form the Arques River
Like other rivers in the region, the Béthune is classified as a first class river, offering anglers the chance to catch salmon and trout.