The village of Buffon

The village of Buffon

Map showing the village of Buffon

#Buffon

Canal locks: 37 to 51

Next upstream Yonne side town: Montbard

Next downstream Yonne side village: Rougemont

The village of Buffon is situated on the Yonne side of the canal, downstream and to the north of Montbard, close to the locks 68Y and 69Y.

The canal is very agreeable to cruise in this section with a mixture of wide canal stretches and impressive stone embankments.

Take the time to visit the very old “Forge” constructed by French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. You can moor your boat close to the entrance of the Forge and take a fascinating visit to the historical site.

Moorings on the canal just beside the Forges

In the village alongside the road, there is a cafe restaurant which is a worthy stop for dinner or lunch.

History & photos of the famous "Grande Forge de Buffon"

The “Grande Forge de Buffon” is a fascinating place to visit, located on the Yonne side of the canal a couple of kilometres from the town of Montbard.

The monument has been restored with so much effort and courage by Mrs Taylor Whitehead over the last couple of decades.

Now open to the public and offering guided tours, you can discover the personality of Buffon and some of his discoveries.

Georges Louis Leclerc Buffon, born a few miles away in the town of Montbard (1707 to 1788), was an expert naturalist and was appointed to the King of France.

Buffon travelled extensively studying minerals, birds and wildlife. He published his first volume of the Histoire Naturelle in 1749. In total he wrote 44 volumes and is renowned as the father of Natural History, laying the foundations for the study of Evolution.

Read the Wiki article the Comte de Buffon

The Forge was built on the banks of the river Armançon in 1768. The water was damned and controlled to power the water mills which in turn powered blast furnaces. The establishment was years ahead of its time and was an ingredient marking the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution for France.

After serious flooding, the forge was converted into a cement factory and then ceased activity.

The main workshops at Buffon

The buildings of the workshops

The watermill which powered the blower of the furnace

The watermill was used to power the blower which pumped air into the furnace.

Hydro powered hammer

The huge hammer is powered by a watermill.

Contact the Forge:
21500 BUFFON,
Telephone: 03 80 92 10 35
Website: https://www.grandeforgedebuffon.fr/

 

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