La Vallée de la Chéronne

The former parish of Saint-Denis-des-Coudrais developed under the influence of the Lords of Chéronne, who held the seigneury of the parish until the French Revolution. Under the Ancien Régime, the village came under the jurisdiction of Perche (right bank of the Chéronne) and Maine (left bank of the Chéronne). Although the local economy was essentially agricultural, deposits of very high quality white clay were exploited very early on to supply ceramics workshops in the surrounding area, particularly in Tuffé, Bonnétable and Prévelles. This activity ceased in the middle of the 20th century with the closure of the last Prévelles workshop in 1962: Les Caves, la Fosse (now called Les Merisiers), les Terres Blanches.