La Braunhe

A video on YouTube led me to believe that there was a swimming lake not far from where we are building our new house. I thought I'd see if I could find it today, so the dogs and I set out exploring.

The map showed it quite clearly, set in large hills not far from Pezenes les Mines. Having found where I thought it was, I could not find the footpath shown on the map. Eventually I stood on some ground way above the water, taking today's blip.

A car stopped on the road I had just left and a chap came over, extended his hand in greeting and explained that it was on his land and it would be dangerous to walk around the lake. I remarked that I thought it beautiful. "Ce n'est pas de la nature" he remarked - it's not natural.

Only when I arrived back home did my research find that it isn't a swimming lake at all, but is the site of the best preserved bauxite mine in the Herault. Amongst others, the tiny nearby hamlet of La Braunhe fought against the mine and it eventually closed in 1975. I guess that explains why the chap I'd met wasn't so enthusiastic about its beauty.

These hills contain up to 65% bauxite and the red colour is from the iron ore which is also contained in the rocks.

During World War II, the German occupiers exploited bauxite. The war industry of the Third Reich needed large quantities of aluminium for its planes. It is said that the miners tricked German guards and loaded trains bound for Germany with low aluminous rocks, difficult to distinguish from rocks rich in bauxite for those not used to handling them.

It proved not to be a great walk for the dogs, but it was certainly very interesting.