Start of activity 1890 (≈ 1890)
Launch of lime production.
1923
Diversification to cement
Diversification to cement 1923 (≈ 1923)
Start of production of natural cement.
1974
Final closure
Final closure 1974 (≈ 1974)
Total cessation of industrial activity.
21 mai 1997
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 21 mai 1997 (≈ 1997)
Protection of the entire site.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The following elements, as shown on the situation plan annexed to the file: all of the lime plant comprising eighteen furnaces, the manufacturing halls, four engine rooms, the maintenance workshop, the water intakes for boilers and the chimney, the cargo elevator and the adjacent column, the building housing the winch (see B puniers, 1352, 1354); cement plant, continuously from the lime plant, in full (see B placedit Canal du Berry, 911); All coal-fired areas (Cdn. B placedit Canal du Berry, 912); part of the former Berry Canal (cad. B placedit Canal du Berry, 1356): registration by order of 21 May 1997
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any historical actors.
Origin and history
The Grandjean factory, located in Jouet-sur-l-Aubois in Cher, was active from 1890 until the eve of the Second World War, first marking lime production before diversifying into natural cement from 1923. Its final closure in 1974 frozen an exceptionally complete industrial complex: canal, quarry, elevator, lime ovens, hall, cement factory, and even a steam machine. The buildings, erected between 1890 and 1925, illustrate the successive expansion of the factory.
This site is distinguished by the integral preservation of its production chain, offering a rare overview of the industrial techniques of the time. At the local level, it demonstrates the importance of Val d'Aubois in the manufacture of lime and cement. At the national level, the Grandjean factory is an emblematic example of the large steam plants of the 19th and 20th centuries, with technical equipment preserved almost identically. Its inscription in the Historic Monuments in 1997 underscores its heritage value.
The protected elements cover the entire lime plant (18 kilns, halls, engine rooms, workshop), the adjoining cement plant, the coal park, and a portion of the old Berry Canal, essential for the transport of raw materials. The exact address, 233 Pruniers, and its link with the Berry Canal recall the strategic role of waterways in rural industrialization. Today, the site remains a marker of the French industrial heritage, although its accessibility to the public is not specified in the available sources.
