Forges de Clabecq - Belgium

During the 18th Century in the Vallon Region, in Clabecq, was already present a sort of plant for iron forging.

A plant for iron melting came around 1820 but it became an industrial activity in the middle of 19th Century, helped by the Bruxelles-Charleroi channel, completed in 1832.

Even if the mining activity in the area was not so developed as in other Belgian towns, raw materials supply could be guaranteed by infrastructures, the channel self and the railway, which still today goes along the rear side of the industrial plant, unfortunately under heavy demolition works.

Petrol crisis and raw material costs during the Seventies gave a hard hit to the production rate. Bankruptcy came in 1997 , arising strong protest of the workers. The plant was classified as unusable: minor costs of manufacturing in emergent countries, the developement of the surroundig area as residential, the not specialised products and the absence of chances to convert old plants, are elements which makes Forges du Clabecq irreconcilable with our times, so destined to demolishing, even if it's one the most important examples of European industrial archeology.

Plant is built on an 80 hectares surface. The more impressive part is the blast furnace, around 70 meter high. Since dismantelment the place has been immersed in the silence of its destiny, with vegetation gainig terrain day after day in the middle of that enormous mass of rusted iron.

Now demolishing works are going on fast. The place represents the end of an entire industrial era in the region, where thousand of workers were employed.