©Rudy Burbant
©Rudy Burbant
©Rudy BURBANT
Escape onLes Grées
Les Grées
hills, a history
Les Grées are shale hills that were mined to build houses and cut slates for roofing.
Present in the 3 communes of Pluherlin, Malansac and Rochefort-en-Terre, the slate quarries were exploited from the 13th century until the beginning of the 20th century. Slate is very present in the village of Rochefort-en-Terre and its surroundings.
Today, the Grées are a protected area.
Walks and hikes
On the Grées
Go to discover the Grées, these schistose ridges offer you a great landscape, covered with moors and woodlands from which emerge manyrocky spurs. Many hiking opportunities are available to you, there are several marked circuits to walk or mountain bike to get away and enjoy this preserved nature:
- The Palis circuit – pedestrian and mountain bike (12 km)
- The Ardoisières circuit – pedestrian and mountain bike (20 km)
- The Grées circuit – mountain biking (29km)
Nightlife
about Les Grées
Les Grées are part of La Vallée de l’Arz which is an area protected by Natura 2000.
In fact this area is the habitat of several species of bats and other animals.
Les Ardoisières being located on Les Grées is a perfect place for our animal friends, you will be able to cross different species of Murin, of Rhinolophe or of Barbastelle.
The slate quarries
The intensive exploitation of the Slate Quarries lasted from 1878 until the First World War.
On Malansac, four shafts were dug and on Pluherlin, perpendicular to the river, a whole network of galleries were built in the rock. The quarries occupied up to 300 workers!
On the surface, what is called the querningallows to divide the blocks from 6 to 8 cm thick. Then splitters reduce them in thickness with thin steel scissors. Finally, the cutters complete the work with a square, giving the desired format.
Slate is very present in the local habitat: low walls, roofing slates, fence posts… Today, Les Grées is a protected area because rare species of bats live there.
The former quarries are prohibited to the public for safety reasons.
