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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The forges of Dampierre-sur-Blévy, installed around 1669 near the forest of Senonches, were created under the impulse of the Duke of Enghien to develop local resources (wood, ore) and meet the needs of the Royal Navy. This site, the first integrated steel plant in France, combined two twin blast furnaces, a forge and a foundry, operated by a 17 hectare pond. It produced cannons, pellets, and cast iron pipes for the Eure Canal, thanks to an innovative technique from Germany.

The site was acquired in 1667 by Henri Jules de Bourbon-Condé, Duke of Enghien, and then passed on to his descendants (princesse de Conti, Louis XVIII). In the 18th century, the forges passed into the hands of forges masters like the Goupil family, which exploited them until the 19th century. The Revolution transformed the site into a national property, sold in 1791 to Goupil and his partner Canuel. Activity declined in the 19th century due to a lack of wood, reducing production to 200 tons per year from 1,200 before.

Ranked a historic monument in 1994, the site now preserves the house of the master of forges, the double blast furnaces, the coal hall, and workers' housing. These remains illustrate the golden age of Norman metallurgy, linked to the Senonches forest and hydraulic force. The forges of Dampierre-sur-Blévy also symbolize industrial innovation under Colbert, with a versatile production: cannons, agricultural tools, and iron rods exported to Rouen or Saint-Malo.

The spatial organization, visible on a plan of 1834, showed a rational arrangement: pond, blast furnaces, forge, splitter, and workshops aligned along the hydraulic couriers. In the 20th century, the site was transformed into a pleasure property, but its industrial buildings (top furnaces, coal hall) were preserved. Today, it bears witness to the technical and social history of the French steel industry, from its peak under Louis XIV to its decline in the 19th century.

The current protections (1993-1994) cover the façades of the master's house, blast furnaces, hydraulic system, and housing. These measures underline the rarity of the site, one of the last examples in France of 17th century blast furnaces still standing. Its history also reflects economic changes from strategic military production to declining rural activity, marked by the depletion of forest resources.

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