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Origin and history

The lock ladder of the Moulin-Brûlé, located in Dammaria-sur-Loeng, is a major hydraulic structure of the Briare Canal, built between 1604 and 1642. It consists of four adjacent locks, using an innovative system of radiating flint kidneys and brick bajoyers rhythmized by cutting stone links. The airlocks, measuring 30.4 x 5.20 meters, bear witness to the engineering of the time. This system, invented by Hugues Cosnier, the canal contractor, was applied here as at Rogny locks. The whole was enlarged and extended around 1830, before being abandoned between 1885 and 1890 in favour of a new bay below.

The lock house, of ancient origin but largely renovated in the middle of the 19th century, preserves a circular lime oven in stone, partially buried and probably dating from the early 19th century. A remarkable element of the site is the oscillating bridge built in 1887, the only known example on the canals studied. Its apron, swivelling around an axis, rises 40 cm to let the haul rope pass, avoiding traction breaks. This bridge, located on the new bay, and the abandoned lock ladder (with its lime oven) have been protected since 1999 by a registration order to the Historic Monuments.

The materials used — rubble, limestone slabs, bricks, cut stone — reflect 17th and 19th century construction techniques. The low arched stone bridge with metal railings and the attached lock system illustrate the evolution of river infrastructure in France. The partial abandonment of the site in favour of new developments at the end of the 19th century marks a transition in the history of the Briare Canal, today preserved industrial and technical heritage.

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