Located in the heart of the Saint-Imoges woods, the Vertin Brickworks is a valuable witness to the terracotta industry. Owned by the Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park since the early 2000s, this site bears witness to the region's rich artisanal and industrial past. But it is not just a historical heritage: this place is also part of an exceptional natural environment, promoting remarkable biodiversity. We tell you more about this remarkable site!
A unique industrial heritage
The Vertin Brickworks is one of the last witnesses of the terracotta industry in the Marne department. Created in 1869, it produced up to two million bricks per year thanks to its Hoffmann-type oven and a brick chimney still visible today.
- The oven (39 x 12 m) : built in 1898, it operated seasonally, lit in the spring and shut down in the fall. With its two parallel galleries and 14 cooking chambers, it was a model of industrial ingenuity.
- The chimney (23 m high) : although partially damaged, it remains an emblematic element of the brickworks and bears witness to the architectural know-how in bricks of the time.
The Vertin Brickworks depended on the Dizy Brickworks Tileworks. The clay and silt extracted locally were used to make bricks using a press, a traditional method where the earth was compacted using a lever arm.
The entire process – extraction, mixing, molding, drying – was done outdoors before being fired in the Hoffmann kiln. The bricks produced were used for local construction, from modest houses to prestigious buildings (Champagne houses, town halls, schools).
Production stopped in the 1930s, but the history of the site remains alive through its structures. The latter, now covered with vegetation, call for restoration to preserve this unique heritage.
Remarkable biodiversity
The Vertin Brickworks is not only a historic site: it is part of a wooded environment of great ecological richness. Indeed, following the abandonment of this activity at the beginning of the 20th century, a diversity of natural habitats developed there: deciduous forests, wetlands, ponds, shrublands, hay meadows, etc.
The flora and fauna are not left out with nearly 288 plant species and more than 100 animal species recorded, including the famous Crested Newt.
This site is part of a project Life Biodiv'Est dedicated to the adaptation of forests to climate change and includes:
- Extraction pits turned into wetlands, home to unique biodiversity.
- A Regional Nature Reserve project, with free-floating areas to promote natural regeneration.
- A hammeroscope, an innovative educational tool to raise public awareness of forest management.
- Woods exploited in an exemplary and innovative manner, combining conservation and sustainable development.
These initiatives make it possible to link industrial and natural heritage, while promoting the richness of this exceptional site.
A restoration and enhancement project
In order to preserve this witness to the past, the Park has undertaken an ambitious restoration project in partnership with the Heritage Foundation and Mission Bern via Heritage Lottery 2024.
Also supported by Primagaz, this project not only aims to restore the oven and the chimney, but also to open the site to the public to:
- To discover the artisanal know-how linked to the manufacture of bricks.
- Highlight the influence of this industry on local built heritage.
- Raise public awareness of the site’s exceptional biodiversity.
While waiting for the site to open to the public, you can support the restoration project by contributing via the Heritage Foundation or by following the progress of the project within the framework of the Mission Bern.
By supporting the restoration of the Vertin Brickworks, you are participating in the preservation of a unique heritage and the enhancement of an exceptional natural environment. Together, let's revive this place for future generations!
What if we continued together?
