Tuffeau

On our recent walk around Usseau, the signed path takes you through the works of one of the regions 'Carrière de Tuffeau'.

Tuffeau can be described as a marine sedimentary rock and was formed when the area was a vast sea over 90 million years ago. It is the cultural identity of the region through its many Chateau's, Abbeys, towns and villages.

The company 'Maquignon Frères' appears to supply the complete package. It quarries the stone, cuts it into blocks and then delivers it.

If you need a lump of Tuffeau they look like the people to contact!

The site was of particular interest to me as Shaun, my next door neighbour in England, has a similar company that does the same with sandstone... You could feel at home here Shaun!

Wear and tear...

Walking down to the town in Chinon the other day we spotted a fine piece of erosion on the stonework of one particular house..

The house is in an exposed spot, overlooking the town, but we wondered why this particular section of stone should suffer so badly whilst the rest is relatively clear.

The stone in question is tuffeau, a marine sedimentary rock found throughout the Loire Valley. It has a very low density compared with other rocks; it is half as dense as granite and an amazingly high porosity - up to 50% compared to 1% for granite.

So possibly the section of stone beneath the window was more prone to seepage which in turn caused the damage we see on the above photo.

Despite all this, however, many old buildings built from tuffeau are still standing. The Chateau at Ussé is a wonderful example and at the other end of the scale are the many longères still to be seen in the region.

It defines the regions buildings and lends a subtle mellowness to our towns and country dwellings alike.

All those engaged in renovation work based on removing concrete rendering and revealing the original stonework are to be applauded!