From the Pont du Coudray to the May-sur-Orne Quarries

Start at Pont du Coudray from the car park of the old SNCF station.

(S/E) Leave the car park on the right, cross the D 156 with care, turn left and continue to the junction. You will then be on the^GR® 36 variant. Continue right onto the D 41 towards Clinchamps-sur-Orne, walk for about 50 m and turn right onto the wooded path that climbs. At the top, at the crossroads, continue straight ahead to rejoin the D 41. Continue to the right on the D 41 towards Clinchamps-sur-Orne and walk for about 100 m.

(1) Although the^GR® signposting advises against it, cross the D 41 with extreme caution, take the tarmac road on the left (Chemin du Val towards Percouville – no signposting at this point). Ignore the paths on the left and continue to the junction; note the Sacré-Cœur de Jésus on the left-hand corner, and turn left.

(2) At the entrance to the hamlet of Percouville, ignore the Chemin du Gué Romain and turn right to continue along the Chemin du Val. Ignore the Calvary and the Chemin de la Chesnaie on the left, walk for about 600 m to the place known as Le Moulin à Voidre (no signpost here), ignore the road on the right and continue for about a hundred metres further to the place known as Le Val (de Clinchamps).

(3) Turn right, leave the Chemin du Val and enter the small, wooded, sunken path that leads downhill. At the bottom, continue left onto the Chemin leat and carry on to the Moulin de Clinchamps.

(4) At the junction with the Chemin du Val coming from the left, turn right, cross the two branches of the Laize, turn left at the bend and ignore the Chemin sous les Carrières coming from the right. This is where the variant rejoins the^GR® 36. Cross the hamlet and, at the Fork in the road, turn left to stay on the Chemin du Val de May, leaving the Chemin du Coudray and the oratory on your right. Follow the Laize to its confluence with the Orne.

(5) Follow the right bank of the Orne, continuing along the Chemin du Val de May, and carry on until you reach the metal footbridge on the left. This is where you leave the^GR® 36. Turn left and take the footbridge to cross the Orne.

(6) Turn left after the footbridge and take the path that runs along the left bank of the Orne. When the path turns right to cross the Voie Verte and heads back up towards the museum and the archaeological sites of Vieux-la-Romaine, turn left to join the Voie Verte.

(7) Follow the Voie Verte de la Suisse Normande, use the first bridge to cross the Orne and then a second bridge to cross over a small tributary of the Orne.

(8) At the junction with a road, continue straight ahead, leaving Percouville on your left. Further on, take a third bridge to cross over another small tributary of the Orne.

(9) Continue to the Pont du Coudray.

(10) Cross the D 41 with extreme caution, then turn left to return to the car park of the old SNCF station (S/E).

The iron mines of Saint-André-sur-Orne and May-sur-Orne

"It has been somewhat forgotten, but Normandy was once one of France’s main steel-producing regions. Iron ore mining began as early as the^17th century, reaching its peak in 1960. After that, the decline began inexorably. In 1993, the last blast of iron left the SMN blast furnaces on the outskirts of Caen.

In May-sur-Orne, the town is situated above a major iron mine that operated from 1896 until 1968. ‘Modern’ mining began under German capital before the Great War. During the conflict, De Wendel and Schneider fought a bitter battle to take over the concessions.

What remains of this mining epic? Not much to photograph. On the right bank of the Orne, the opening of a drainage tunnel can be seen. The galleries were used from 1970 to 1983 to store hydrocarbons. The door blocking the entrance dashes any hopes of an underground visit, and the smell of fuel oil is still clearly noticeable. This door provides access to the underground works used to monitor changes in the ground beneath the town.

Whilst extraction took place on the right bank of the Orne, transport by rail occurred on the left bank. Two overhead conveyors were completed in 1933 to carry the ore from the extraction shafts to the loading terminals. The gaunt silhouettes of the crusher-accumulators that once overlooked the railway tracks still stand.

Now that they have been dismantled, it must be said that they have aged rather poorly and it takes a great deal of effort to find any aesthetic appeal in them. Let us, however, concede that the spiral staircase possesses a certain elegance.

At one of the two terminals, you can still reach the first floor without too much risk and enjoy the view.

Going any higher would involve taking an unnecessary risk. On the upper floor, through the metal beams, one can catch a glimpse of the remains of an engine.

Back down to earth, where the hoppers look like PEZ candy dispensers.

Other old ladies are struggling to withstand the ravages of time and suffer from a permanent lock-jaw. Their worn-out dentures reveal blocks of ore.

The signal box offers no interest other than serving as a canvas for graffiti enthusiasts. Snapping a few photos nonetheless allows one to preserve a few ‘graffiti snapshots’ as a memento of times gone by.

In 1956, major developments took place. The central shaft was sunk at May-sur-Orne. The ore was transported by conveyor belt, crushed and then stored in large silos built on the right bank. The ore then crossed the Orne via the mining bridge to the loading quays.

One can still make out the empty spaces on the edges of the footbridge where the posts supporting the conveyor once stood.

The northern silo-crusher has been repurposed, and a ramp fitted with a conveyor belt has been built to transport stone from a nearby sandstone quarry.

As a side note, behind the silo, a steep concrete track is somewhat puzzling, as it is not immediately clear what purpose it served in relation to the mine. Upon enquiry, it turns out it has nothing to do with the mine; this track was used to carry out gradient tests for SAVIEM.

In short, there really isn’t much left, and one cannot say that the patina of time enhances or embellishes these remains. Admittedly, one might feel that these ruins are an eyesore in the landscape and that they are not old enough to merit ‘heritage’ status. However, they are the last symbols of the mining era that had such a profound impact on the region. It is to be feared that the inevitable deterioration will lead to a ‘safety clearance’ operation that will simply involve razing everything to the ground."

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