Industrial heritage
Mont-Saint-Guibert
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Tower of the former Saint-Guibert brewery. This is the oldest remaining part of the GRADE brewery which has produced the famous Vieux-Tempssince 1933 and Leffe since 1975. Although the Interbrew group, now known as Inbev took over the GRADE brewery in 1996, this has now closed definitively. The intact tower can be seen from the bottom of the rue du Riquau. |
Court-Saint-Etienne
Emile Henricot Factories.
These first became known for cast and forged iron items. Then the production of special moulded parts was developed and in 1905, the first automatic couplings were manufactured for the railways. Further developing after their launch, the Emile Henricot Factories made themselves a name as the market leader for special high quality steels. The most famous engine built by the Emile Henricot Factories: la nacelle was a masterpiece from the bathyscaphe of Professor Auguste Piccard, completed on 19 July 1947. From 1958, the first parts were delivered for the nuclear industry, the new key sector for the company. From 1973 (the first oil crisis), all factories with a large workforce found themselves in trouble. In 1984 the fires went out forever at the E. Henricot Factories. A group of buildings remains from factory N° 2, which can be seen from the Place Baudouin 1er.
Community centre. This leisure Centre was built in 1913 on the initiative of the brothers, Paul and Fernand Henricot. Today it is used by the Centre culturel du Brabant wallon. The Dispensary for the Factories built in 1922 is next to the Community Centre.
The Caretaker's house, at the entrance to factory N°2, was built in 1908.
The Large Offices (1926) are currently used by a school, the CEFA.
The Parc à Mitrailles. Built in 1951 to house the scrap metal purchased in the industries (the scrap metal was used to supply the electric furnaces for manufacturing special steels), it is now a 3,200 m2 majestic hall which, renovated by the Walloon Region, has been used for major events and cultural exhibitions.
Hall N°11. This hall measures 280 m2 and was built in 1907. It represents the iron architecture of the 19th century. It is remarkable for its ironwork and the way it is assembled with rivets and its cast-iron pillars. It was used as an adjustment and maintenance workshop.
It has been listed since 2 October 1995. It is all that is left of Emile Henricot Factory N°1. (Place des Déportés).
For any further information, please contact:
Le Patrimoine Stéphanois
Ancienne école communale de Sart-Messire-Guillaume
Rue de l'Eglise 10 1490 Court-Saint-Etienne - Tél. : +32 (0) 496.45.07.67
info@patrimoine-stephanois.be - www.patrimoine-stephanois.be
Villers-la-Ville
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Chassart Factory Former sugar-distillery-bakehouse. In 1906, the prosperity of the company was such that it won its owners a title and the family took the name Dumont de Chassart. The business collapsed from the inter-war period.The sugar refinery couldn't withstand international competition and was bought by Tirlemont in 1957. Eleven years later, the alcohol division was taken over by the Martini group. Rue Haute, 99 in Wagnelée. |
For any further information, please contact :
Villers-la-Ville Tourist Office
Rue de l'Abbaye 53
1495 Villers-la-Ville
Tel. +32.(0)71.87.98.98 - Fax +32.(0)71.87.98.00
e-mail : sivillerslaville@skynet.be
Opening times:
From 1 April to 31 October: from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm (closed Monday and Tuesday)
From 1 November to 30 March: from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 4.45 pm (closed on Sunday)
Annual closure: 24, 25, 31 December and 1 January