Sainte-Menehould, Ardennes 51800

The former Islettes earthernware factory classed as a historic monument, with 7 hectares of meadows in the Champagne region. The Bois d'pense factory, known as 'Des Islettes' was the biggest of the Argonne earthenware factories, especially among those producing artistic earthenware. The date it was built can't be determined exactly, but there are records of it as far back as 1737. From 1756, it was passed down from father to son by the Bernard dynasty for almost a century. At the time, it was very large, employing over 300 workers a year. The variety of themes is extraordinary, and may come as a surprise to enthusiasts who had no idea that such masterpieces and rarities were being produced in Les Islettes at the time. When Bernard's last son, Joseph-Dsir, died, his widow kept the business going for eight years and then sold it to the Godechel brothers in 1840. It was facing stiff competition from factories in Lunville and Sarreguemine, which are delivering more sophisticated, modern and cheaper products. The factory closed in 1848. When it was sold, the buildings were demolished, leaving only the master's house, the employees' accommodation, the chapel and a few outbuildings. After a small tarmac road leading out of the village, the property is approached via a path running alongside the chapel and after passing through a wrought iron gate, framed by heavy stone pilasters topped with acorns. A vast gravel courtyard provides parking for a large number of vehicles. Flowerbeds and large trees form a backdrop to it. All of the buildings are set in a row to its left, starting with the country manor, followed by staff accommodation and outbuildings, and a few metres after a vast woodshed. The grounds stretch out all around, with a wooded area with a small dacha on stilts built in the 20th century near a natural pond fed intermittently by a spring, a remarkable oak tree at the edge of the meadows, and a vegetable garden near the outbuildings. Finally, at the rear of the manor house, a porch overlooks a white pebbled terrace.