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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Roque-Genêts lime ovens form a former industrial complex located in La Meauffe, Normandy, near the Vire River. Built mainly in the 19th century, this site includes six lime ovens, four of which are integrated into an octagonal massif and two in a square massif. These structures were used to produce lime, an activity essential for local and regional construction. The site has been partially listed as historic monuments since 1992, including elements such as loading ramp, blade wheel and carnets.

The first kilns were erected around 1855 according to the plans of engineer Alfred Mosselman, and then taken over in 1865 by the Western supply company, which added four others in 1882. In 1895 Louis Legoubin, a lime manufacturer in Orval, bought the site and rebuilt three ovens, inspired by the models of Saussey and d'Orval. The operation was based on an ingenious system: carnets, operated by a blade wheel, carried the materials to the top of the ovens, while the lime produced was poured into gabares via a hopper, before being carried through a channel powered by the Vire.

Beyond its industrial heritage, the site now houses a remarkable natural space. Old quarries and kilns are the 5th largest wintering site for bats in the Department of the Channel, with ten species identified, including six of community interest such as the Great Rhinolophe or Bechstein Moulin. This dual vocation, both historical and ecological, makes it a unique place in Normandy.

The official protection, decided by order of 7 July 1992, specifically covers the south-west group along the Vire, as well as associated equipment (rampe, blade wheel, hopper). Although some kilns are located in the neighbouring municipality of Cavigny, the whole is a coherent industrial complex, a witness to the techniques of lime production in the nineteenth century and their integration into the Norman river landscape.

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