Val de May and the Orne Valley from May-sur-Orne

Technical data sheet no. 7700174

Park in the car park at the May-sur-Orne post office.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the post office building and go round it on the left to follow Rue de la Teste de Buch (D41B) towards Fontenay-le-Marmion. Stay on the right-hand pavement, cross Rue du Stade and then Rue des Tourmalines.
At the last houses on the left (Rue Fleur Terre), carefully cross Rue de la Teste de Buch at the pedestrian crossing, then continue towards Fontenay-le-Marmion by taking the cycle path on the left-hand side of the road, which is now Rue de May. Continue down to the junction with the D41.

(1) Cross Rue de May with care and follow the Chemin des Cotis, which runs alongside the D41 on your left. Follow the path for about 900 m, then take the small path that descends to the left (elevation 59).

(2) At the bottom of the path, turn right onto the tree-lined track, follow it for about 400 m and emerge at the top of a bend onto the road from May-sur-Orne to Laize-la-Ville (D562A). Turn left, keep well to the left-hand side of the road and, whilst keeping very carefully to the hard shoulder, walk down to the next junction.

(3) With the utmost care, cross the D562A to join the Chemin Sous les Carrières, on the other side of the road and opposite the D41. You will then be on the^GR® 36; follow the Chemin Sous les Carrières for about 1.5 km. Walk alongside the Laize on your left, ignore the paths on the right and continue to the next junction.

(4) Ignore the road on the left, keep to the right and cross the hamlet of Val de May until you reach the fork. At the wayside shrine, ignore the Chemin du Coudray which heads uphill opposite and turn left onto the Chemin du Val de May which descends and continues to follow the Laize on your left.
Continue along the Orne on your left, pass the entrance to the old mines and carry on to the first path on the right. From there, you can see the top of the old mine silo and the old metal footbridge.

(5) Leave the^GR® 36 and turn right. Walk up the path, take the earthen steps, reach the houses and turn into Rue de la Mine opposite.

(6) Turn left into Rue Eugène Figeac and continue straight on until you reach Rue Saint-André. Turn right, pass between the town hall and the church, and reach Rue des Trois Ursulines (D 562A). Cross the road very carefully at the pedestrian crossing, take Rue de la Teste de Buch opposite towards Fontenay-le-Marmion and use the pavement on the right to reach the car park at the Post Office (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 built 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, dispatch by rail occurred on the left bank.

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.

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