A historical production site
In Paimpont, the forges have deeply marked the landscape. On the banks of the pond, the site is a remarkable testimony to the Breton metallurgical industry. Here, from the 18th century to 1884, hundreds of workers transformed the ore extracted from the forest to make nails, plowshares, cannons, rails… The irons of Paimpont rivaled those of Spain or Sweden. Guided tours and discovery tours take you from the rolling mill to the workers’ lower houses, from the blast furnaces to the master’s house. In this universe, blacksmiths sometimes make the walls vibrate again during demonstrations and initiations.
Text by Annick André.
The village, classified as a Historic Monument
The village is separated by a dike from the forge pond that fed the blast furnaces. After the closure of the foundry in 1954, the village no longer resounds…
Important development and restoration work was undertaken in the early 2000s by the owners. During group visits or on your own, you can discover the still existing buildings :
- Two blast furnaces
- The foreman’s house
- The canteen
- The retention basin
- The chapel
- The workers’ houses
- The workshops
- The exceptional 600 m² rolling mill
Near the former workers’ canteen, the oak tree of Anatole Le Braz overlooks the site.
