Site ardoisier de l'Espérance

If you're a fan of original walks, why not explore the site of the former slate quarries at La Pouëze. Baptized "La Carrée Ardoisière" with its wooden headframe, discover the traces of this industrial activity that gave rhythm to the life of the village and its inhabitants.

Here, the slate extracted from the bowels of the earth was distinguished by its exceptional quality. The finely cut slate from the La Pouëze quarries has been used to cover prestigious monuments such as the Château de Chambord and Poitiers Cathedral, a testament to the skills of the local slate quarry workers.
The walk begins at the car park at the foot of the headframe, an impressive oak structure overlooking shaft number 3, 355 metres deep. The path continues along the embankment formed by the heap of cuttings, the remains of mining activity, to the trou Colas, a lake with turquoise waters. Take time to observe the vegetation here: an endemic flora has slowly developed on this very special schist soil.
Following the old mining furrows, you will then reach the hillock and the rue des Ardoisières. On your left, the IRONA company buildings house the downspout of an old extraction shaft. The return journey takes you along the small opposite street, la Fiogée, lined with old miners' houses that bear witness to the working life of yesteryear. The headframe, visible from afar, will serve as a landmark when you come to the end of the walk and return to your vehicle.