Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Parc des Forges de Varennes, located in Champsecret, Orne, is a former active metallurgical establishment from the late 16th century until 1866. This site, representative of the Walloon (indirect) process in Normandy, is one of the best preserved in Europe for this technique. Ranked a historic monument in 1987, it includes a blast furnace built in 1767 by Chanconel, as well as reservoirs, a refinery, a splitter and an iron shop. His activity, initially linked to the seigneury of La Ferriere before the Revolution, produced a "cold breaking" iron sold on the Domfront market, then transformed by local artisans into nails, locks or horseshoes.

The energy from the site came from two ponds feeding the warp and forge, while the cast iron was worked in the refinery before being stored or processed. A worker's home near the refinery, as well as a chapel dedicated to the Saints Eloi (the patron saint of blacksmiths) and Anne (the patron saint of miners), testify to the community life of the site. The castle and a mill complete the architectural complex. After modifications in 1806 and 1844, the forges closed permanently in 1866, marking the end of local iron production dating back to the Middle Ages.

The site has had a dozen forge masters since the 17th century, including Louis Berryer (purchaser in 1671), the Chancerel brothers (rentors in 1790), or Jean Sigismond Ehrenreich of Redern Bernsdorf (owner in 1806). After the Revolution, the forges were exploited by companies such as Dubuisson, Calais, or Delaroche, before being bought by industrialists such as Pierre Niaux in the 1850s. Iron production ceased around 1850, and an aborted cotton spinning project was mentioned in 1854.

Ranked a historic monument in 1987, the site enjoys extensive protection in 1990 for its movable objects (tools, statues, scales). Purchased in the 1990s by the Living with the Family association, it is now valued by Le Savoir et le Fer, which has been organizing visits since 2003. Major restoration works (€1.2 million), supported by the Heritage Lotto, allowed the renovation of the blast furnace, refining plant and the ware between 2018 and 2022.

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