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 of exceptional quality. The finely cut slate from the La Pouëze slate quarries has been used to cover prestigious monuments such as the Château de Chambord and Poitiers Cathedral, testifying to the expertise of local slate quarry workers.
The walk begins with a car park at the foot of the headframe, an impressive oak structure that dominates shaft no. 3, 355 metres deep. The path continues along the embankment formed by the cuttings, remnants of the mining activity, to the trou Colas, a lake with turquoise waters. Take time to observe the vegetation here: endemic flora has slowly developed on this very special schist soil.
The route continues along the old mining furrows, leading to the hillock, before reaching 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 opposite street, la Fiogée, lined with old miners' houses that bear witness to the working life of yesteryear. The headframe, visible from afar, serves as a landmark for completing the walk and returning to your vehicle.