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Origin and history

La Grosse forge du Champ-de-la-Pierre, located in the Orne department in Normandy, is a steel complex established from the 1st quarter of the 17th century (attested in 1572 for the initial blast furnace) and active until the end of the 19th century. The site, classified as a Historic Monument in 1991, consists of a blast furnace, a refinery, a slitting plant, and workers' and employers' dwellings. It illustrates the exploitation of local ore (from Rânes), charcoal from the surrounding forests (including that of Écouves), and the castine of La Roche-Mabile. The production, originally intended for the forges of the bocage, also fed the nailers, locksmiths and quindriers of the regions of Vire, Tinchebray and Domfront, where these activities occupied thousands of workers.

The blast furnace and refinery were built in 1572 by Mary Després for Claude De Broons, local lord, while the employer's dwelling dates back to 1667. The site was acquired in 1702 by the Ricœur family, which restored it in 1714. In the 18th century, the forge employed up to 75 workers and produced 150 tons of iron and 75 tons of refined iron annually. The blast furnace, rebuilt in 1859 with a mould shop, ceased its activity around 1880, marking the end of the traditional steel industry in Lower Normandy. Archaeological excavations in the years 1985–1986 revealed the remains of ancillary workshops, confirming the historic significance of the site.

The fenderie, attested as early as 1619 and restored in 1745, transformed the iron produced on site before shipping to the local craftsmen. Its stop around 1880 coincided with that of the forge, a victim of the industrial revolution and the depletion of forest resources. Today, the restored blast furnace, along with that of the Forges de Varennes, is one of the few material testimonies of the wood-based steel industry in Normandy. The site also maintains private archives and worker housing, providing a comprehensive overview of the social and technical organization of this pre-industrial industry.

Ranked for its remains (furnace, housing, water reservoir, bakery), the Champ-de-la-Pierre site is studied in the General Inventory of Industrial Heritage of Basse-Normandie. Its history, documented by sources such as the Inventory Papers or the work of François Dornic, highlights its key role in the regional economy, notably in the production of nails, locks and hardware, dominant sectors in Tinchebray and its surroundings.

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