Valescure

7 points of interest

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  Water

  Hydraulic heritage

  In the valley of Valescure, an integration project for the unemployed and socially disadvantaged restored over 450 hydraulic engineering structures, supervised by various institutional and scientific partners. This project helps you understand the importance of hydraulic dams in the Cévennes: tancats (small thresholds or dams built across the waterway to recover any sediment carried by rainwater runoff), païssières (thresholds, little dams), béals (irrigation channels), trancats (rainwater drains carved into the rock or constructed uphill of buildings to channel rainwater and protect the buildings).

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  History

  Château de Valescure

  The Château de Valescure, a private property owned by the French Forestry Office (ONF) since 1922, must have been built in the 15th century by Bertrand de Valescure, whose descendants were ennobled and distinguished themselves during the French Wars of Religion. They held the seigneury of Valescure until 1618, when by alliance it became the Tourtoulon family’s, which held it until the French Revolution. Long empty, in 1941 the château came back to life when it became an advance post of the Chantiers de jeunesse (a paramilitary youth institution of the Vichy regime). Later in the Second World War, Resistance fighters found refuge here. In 1985, the ONF began renting it out.

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  Flora

  A preserved valley

  The Vallée Obscure, a natural zone of ecological, faunal and floral interest, has a significant heritage of rare species, such as the nightjar, little owl, bee-eater, raven and honey buzzard... As for flora, almost ten varieties of orchids have been identified. In spring, snapdragon is common on the rocky slopes. In the valley, there are also Atlas cedars and tall thujas, planted by the ONF in the 1950s.

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  Water

  A stream under surveillance

  The governmental research organisation CNRS has installed a hydrometric station here that measures the stream's water levels and flow rate. You can easily see the graduated vertical scale. This is complemented by a pressure probe connected to a data recording centre. This monitoring equipment is part of a series of stations in the Vallée Borgne. The data they record have shown the important role played by tancats (cf. Precious reserves) in regulating water flow. They also confirm how effective the various measures are that have been taken to rehabilitate these structures and maintain riverbank vegetation.

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  History

  The ruins of La Fayssolle

  The departmental archives preserve the historical traces of Mas de Faysolle in a mariage act from 20 November 1554. Notary records mention the wedding of Jeanne Mercoiret with Antoine Pascal.

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  Water

  Vital arteries

  Besals or béals are channels that have been built to carry and distribute water where it is needed: plots of cultivated land, gardens, mills, etc. They were usually created and maintained collectively. The distribution of water to the various users was controlled by small sluice gates (esclafidors).  These were opened and closed at precise times of day, which were decided according to customary law – and could be subject to disputes and legal proceedings.

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  Water

  Precious reserves

  To store water, especially during dry periods, locals have dug and built a great number of gorgas. These reservoirs supplied gardens, fields and mills. They were fed by springs or streams, whose water was diverted by a paissièira and then transported by a besal (béal).