A walk between nature and heritage along the seven impellers Valley Durolle
Published on Sunday, September 8, 2013
7:45 AM //
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The physical effort is minimal, the journey is intense. He takes the hiker in an almost subterranean place, obscure. A place that has participated in Thiers raise to the rank of capital of cutlery.
Strength, he has had to Durolle to dig its bed in the granite blocks of Thiers country. The grinders, those workers whose task was to sharpen the blades were forged freshly understood.
The circuit "Rouets Fourniot" looped one kilometer. The start and finish are below the village of Château-Gaillard Thiers, where a small reception building overlooking the valley. The guides will offer tours daily between noon and 19 hours.
To achieve its discretion, we must descend and enter the cool forest. The rustle of the water is louder until the river provides the eyes of walkers.
The world
of work made between steel,
stone and water
Impetuous Durolle remained so, even if they are spinning wheels gradually fell into disrepair. These small buildings were workplace grinders, who used water power to turn the wheels and feed the huge stacks of 600 kg needed for polishing steel.
One of these buildings still standing proudly welcomes hikers upon their arrival in the valley. This is the wheel Lyonnet, the name of its last owner, who was operated until 1976 ( 2 e photo-cons ). The interior reflects the extreme difficulty of the job. Large boards on which workers were stretched flat belly, up to 12 hours to sharpen are still there. Upstairs, women and children were loaded finishes and took off all traces of abrasion on precious blades.
The impeller of Lyonnet is the gateway to the other world. That of water, stone and steel. That of past work.
The trail continues between the huge boulders of the mountain, according to the curves of Durolle. So we can not help but respect this nature, to feel little fracas between the water and the immutable stability of rock.
Walker walks for most of the way on mounds several meters wide sometimes built by the man in the bed of the river. They were designed to form small channels ( the bays ) , powering the wheels with a constant flow of water and controllable.
L'' he warned noticed strange stones embedded in the walls, or used as a stairs. They are rounded and as to provide evidence of their former lives, are numerous grooves. These are the famous wheels that were used to sharpen the blades. When they were too worn, the grinders used as masonry stones.Still others round were simply driven into the ground to fill irregularities in the road.
The surrounding area also reveal old workings and twisted metal parts or, more artistic, engraved stones. Beside an old condemned bridge, for example, a bust of Marianne signed Crocombette is dated 1928. Other blocks indicate the year in which such wheel has been restored.
Vegetation that thrives in cool, moist area and quickly reasserted itself since the closure of spinning wheels, following the arrival of electricity.
