The Pays d’art et d’histoire de GrandAngoulême is highlighting five centuries of artisanal tile-making expertise with an exceptional program dedicated to the former tile factories of the Vallée de l’Échelle. From October 3 to 25, 2026, free visits, workshops, conferences, film screenings, and a guided walk are offered to the public in the towns of Dirac, Garat, and Sers.
Located east of Angoulême, the Vallée de l’Échelle was home to numerous tile factories from the 15th to the 20th century, thanks to a clay vein along the river. Although this craft disappeared in the early 1970s, it has left significant traces in the landscape. The former Niollet tile factory in Garat, owned by GrandAngoulême, stands as a poignant testament with its quarry, ponds, drying sheds, kilns, storage areas, and dwellings.
The event series will begin on Saturday, October 3, at 5 PM at the workshops of the École d’art de Dirac (630 rue de la Boissière) with a conference titled « La Vallée de l’Échelle, five centuries of artisanal tile heritage » by Marie Faure-Lecocq from the Pays d’art et d’histoire.
Sunday, October 4, will be dedicated to the memory of tile-making know-how at the Niollet tile factory (10:30 AM - 6 PM). The morning (10:30 AM - 12 PM) will include a tour of the exteriors led by Marie Faure-Lecocq and the association L’Eschalou. In the afternoon, from 2 PM to 4 PM, residents with family ties to the tile factories are invited to share their memories for an audio documentary produced by Passerelle Images. Family workshops using LEGO® and Tataki Zomé will take place from 2 PM to 3:30 PM. A conference on the energy resources used for firing clay since the 15th century is scheduled from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, followed by a public listening of the audio documentary « Tuileries, une empreinte sensible dans la Vallée de l’Échelle » (30 min) and screenings by Jean-Michel Faure, including « Les derniers tuiliers de la Butte » (20 min) and « TERRE » (10 min) by David Terpereau.
On Sunday, October 11, a tour of the tile factory's exteriors will be offered from 2 PM to 3 PM, followed by a collective art workshop – a giant « vegetal graffiti » – led by L’Eschalou on a wall of the former drying shed.
The series will conclude on Sunday, October 25, with an 11 km guided heritage walk starting from Sers (9 AM - 5 PM). Organized by the Pays d’art et d’histoire, the GrandAngoulême Ecological Transition service, the Sentier Agency, and the Plant Companions, it includes a packed lunch at the Niollet tile factory and a site visit. The walk is limited to 40 participants and registration is required at the Office de tourisme du pays d’Angoulême (05 45 95 16 84) until October 24.
These events coincide with the release of the new Focus from the Pays d’art et d’histoire, « Les tuileries de la Vallée de l’Échelle, cinq siècles de patrimoine artisanal », offered during the activities and available at the maison du tourisme (71 bis rue Hergé, Angoulême).
All activities are free. The Niollet tile factory is accessible via the Eschalou parking lot, RD 87, Garat (GPS: 45.602285, 0.295944). For information: Pays d’art et d’histoire, 05 86 07 20 48, pah@grandangouleme.fr.
