Filature Cossérat à Saleux dans la Somme

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Cosserat spinning plant, located in Saleux in the Somme (Hauts-de-France), is a textile industrial complex built mainly between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This site illustrates the rise of the flax industry in the region, with buildings dedicated to different processing stages: "wet" and "dry" spinning, combing, boiler room, and mechanical workshops. The constructions range from 1880 (a building bearing the inscription Flax) to 1930 (a mechanical workshop), reflecting technological evolution and expansion of activity.

Ranked a Historical Monument by order of 8 June 2021, the Cossérat spinning is distinguished by the protection of its facades and roofs for several elements: offices and shipping room (1903), boiler room (1912), combing building (1920-1923), as well as the employers' house and outbuildings. The site, located at 21 rue Jean Jaurès and rue Jean-Catelas, bears witness to the typical spatial organization of the spinnings of the era, with a clear separation between production areas, technical services and the owner's housing. Its designation as historic monuments underscores its heritage and architectural importance.

The accuracy of its location is assessed as fair (note 5/10), and the site does not appear to be systematically open to the visit according to available information. The sources mention a precise cadastral address (section AK, parcels 157, 158 and 173), as well as a plan annexed to the protection order detailing the buildings concerned. No information is provided on any current services (rent, guest rooms) or on public accessibility.

The historical context of Saleux and the Somme at the turn of the 20th century is marked by an economy strongly linked to the textile industry, in particular flax, an abundant local raw material. The branches such as the Cossérats played a central role in the employment and social structure of the communes, with a labour force often from the surrounding countryside. The utility architecture of buildings, combined with more elaborate elements (such as the employer house), reflects this social and economic hierarchy.

Available data are mainly from the Merimée database and Monumentum, supplemented by approximate GPS coordinates. The Creative Commons license associated with Claude Villetaneuse's photo indicates accessible visual documentation, but no additional details are provided on the collections or archives related to the site. The absence of any mention of the current state of conservation or enhancement projects limits the understanding of its contemporary use.

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