Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Ferme de la Normanderie, located in Ménil-Erreux (Orne), was built in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century (1863) by engineer Ferdinand-Louis Caillet. It is part of a set of three innovative industrial farms in Lower Normandy, combining beet production, distillery and beef fattening. Its originality lies in the use of inland railways Decauville linking the distillery to the pulp silo, barn and barn, organized in parallel, while the house is located opposite. This system allows for integrated production of meat and alcohol, a rarity for the time in the region.

The spatial organization reflects an industrial logic: stables, hangars, pigs, store, concierge, dormitory and bakery are arranged along the other sides of the farm. After later modifications (short distillery, silos replaced by a water room), the large house was destroyed in 1967. The facades and roofs of the remaining buildings have been protected since 2005, reflecting this agricultural and technical heritage.

This industrial farm model illustrates the modernization of Norman agriculture in the 19th century, where entrepreneurs such as Caillet integrate technological innovations (rail, on-site processing) and land concentration. The acquisition of neighbouring small farms, destroyed to build this complex, also marks a transition to larger and specialized agricultural structures linked to emerging transport networks.

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