Carrière Souterraine de Rinval

Useful Information

Location:	Brauvilliers. On the Route de Joinville, about 800 m east of the town.
Open:	APR to OCT 1st and 3rd Sun 14-17 (first and last tour). Heritage Days: Sun 14-17. [2014]
Fee:	Adults EUR 5, Children (0-15) free. Groups (20+) Adults EUR 4, [2014]
Classification:	Rock Mine Room and Pillar Mining
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=12 °C
Guided tours:	D=60 min.
Photography:	Allowed
Accessibility:	No
Bibliography:
Address:	Carrière Souterraine de Rinval, Route de Joinville, 55170 Brauvilliers, Tel: +33-329-708712. Georges Dumenil, 1 Rue Felix Raugel, 55000 Haironville, Tel: +33-329-713477, Tel: +33-606-622762. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1900	quarry opened.
2012	opened to the public.

Description

The Carrière Souterraine de Rinval (Underground Quarry of Rinval) is located at the town Brauvilliers. It is a quarry for limestone, which was cut in blocks. The marks where the blocks were cutt of are still visible at the wall. The quarry was worked in a classical room and pillar way, so there are numerous side chambers which were used by Amis de la Pierre for sculptures or displays. There is one showing the technique how the rock was cut with hammers, chisels and axes. The tools were specialized for this work, custom made by a blacksmith. Another shows a compresssed air drill complete with electric compressor.

The quarry was opened in 1900, so it is rather young. The tools and machinery is from the early 20th century.

A part of the quarry was used for growing mushrooms, and one of the alcove still does. The last mushroom grower in Brauvilliers explains here the details about his traditional work.

The tour ends in a much larger chamber with rails on the floor. Here the cut rocks were sawed to the intended sizes and then transported out of the mine.