The Augerolles waterfalls
Les cascades d'Augerolles
Les cascades d'Augerolles - bsavarypro
Saint-Pardoux-Morterolles

The Augerolles waterfalls

Discovery trail
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At the gateway to the Millevaches plateau, enjoy a walk guided by explanatory panels as you discover the 50-hectare listed natural site.
The waterfalls of Augerolles hike lets you discover the cut granite plank bridges, the Augerolles mill, as well as the Champs de Pierres - the field of stones: an imposing outcrop of balls and lumps of stone, blocks formed in the Ice Age, which shapethe wooded landscape and mark out the waterfalls.

6 points of interest

  • Pont planche
    Pont planche - OTCSO
    Small patrimony

    The plank bridges

    The plank bridge consists of two ends and a central pillar made of matching blocks that support granite beams. None of the construction is visible, "the planks" are just placed side-by-side. This type of bridge does not appear on the 1831 land registry map.
  • chanvre
    chanvre - ©bsavarypro
    Expertise

    Hemp

    Hemp growing, practiced by all families, disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Hemp provided the raw material for making linen: sheets, tablecloths, tea towels, but also underwear, shirts and all kinds of bags, ropes and cables. Hemp was very strong and almost indestructible.
  • Moulin d'Augerolles
    Moulin d'Augerolles - bsavarypro
    Small patrimony

    Augerolles mill

    The mill, rebuilt in 2006, has the following architectural features:
    - double slope roof covered with thatch
    - dry stone walls with double gable
    - small gable openings, a narrow door and a dormer window opposite
    - paved floor resting on granite beams.

  • Pic noir
    Pic noir - AFP (Sciences et avenir)
    Fauna

    Black woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker

    The Black woodpecker measures 45 centimetres; it is the largest European woodpecker and has plain black plumage. The male wears a red cap and the female has a red patch on her neck. Its flight is heavy and a little undulating.
    It frequents the coniferous and beech forests of the mountainous regions. It digs a huge cavity with an oval hole in a tree trunk, sometimes at a very great height.

    The great spotted woodpecker measures 22 centimetres and is distinguished by a black back with large white spots on the wings. The underside is white without stripes, the red under the tail is clear cut. The male has a red patch on the nape of the neck; this is absent in the female. It rarely feeds on the ground and lives in all wooded areas.

  • Champ de pierres
    Champ de pierres - OTCSO
    Geological interest

    The "fields of stone"

    Outcrops and imposing blunt lumps and balls of stone, formed during the Ice Age, shape the wooded landscape and mark the waterfalls. This name is used to designate an open area, covered with heather moorland, from which large boulders protrude.
  • Carrière
    Carrière - OTCSO
    History

    Granite and stonecutting

    The granite mined here is a two-mica granite. Exploitation continues today on the Puy Manibaud.
    The granite blocks were hauled from the quarry by animals. The production is mainly cut stone for construction and monuments.
    The stone cutters were protected from the elements under rough shelters.

Description

From the car park, take the road straight ahead towards the stone-cutting workshop (South-West).

  1. Then head downhill at an angle to the right.
  2. At the "La Carrière" sign, turn right to visit the quarry. Retrace your steps.
  3. Turn right and go onto the plank bridge. Then turn right into the sunken path. At the fork, turn right towards "le Moulin", the mill. Further on, turn right at the "Le Chanvre" sign. You can get close to the old hemp mill, otherwise, stay on the main path.
  4. At the restored Augerolles mill, turn left up the hill, following the signposts. Continue straight through the hardwood trees. At the T-junction, go right. Cross the mill race, go straight ahead.
  5. At the signpost marked with the viewpoint symbol, leave the path on the right and walk into the plot for a few metres to enjoy the view of the valley. Take the path on the right, meander through the woods. As you leave the fir wood (viewpoint overlooking the village of La Vedrenne), start the descent on the winding pathways through the beech wood. 
  6. Below the undergrowth, cross another mill race and head across to the creek.
  7. Take the wooden footbridge to cross over. Use the duckboards to step across the stream. 
  8. At the Moulin des Charreaux (ruins), climb to the right. At the T-junction, turn right over the stream to overlook the waterfalls. At the fork turn right (viewpoint overlooking the Cascades d'Augerolles).
  9. Go into the fir woods, in the middle of the Field of Stones. At the intersection, go straight ahead, return to the roadside path. Take the steps, continue to the right. Back above the quarry where you started, turn left up the hill, following the markings.
  • Departure : Car park at the Cascades d'Augerolle, D58, Saint-Pardoux-Morterolles
  • Arrival : Car park at the Cascades d'Augerolle, D58, Saint-Pardoux-Morterolles
  • Towns crossed : Saint-Pardoux-Morterolles

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

17 explanatory signs line the trail. For children, a treasure hunt punctuated with puzzles to solve lets them have fun as they discover the site. Take good shoes because of the steep gradient.

Access and parking

16 km from Bourganeuf, follow the D8.

Parking :

Car park at the Cascades d'Augerolle, D58, Saint-Pardoux-Morterolles

More information

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