Quarries of the Cul du Four

These old sandstone quarries of Famennian age were opened on the right flank of a meander of the Bocq, south of the village of Durnal, in the Namur Condroz. Part of it is currently developed for adventure sports activities, having previously served as a training ground for shooting, while a residence is located in the southern part of the site, north of the path. The bottom of the excavation, rocky and compacted, is covered with sparse vegetation, heavily trampled during the tourist season. These open areas have pioneering lawns whose floral interest is not insignificant: several threatened species can be found here, particularly the German cottonweed (Filago vulgaris), which is considered endangered in the Walloon Region, and whose future on the site is uncertain. Other preserved areas show a certain abundance of devil’s-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis), a plant that is uncommon in the region. The high cliffs, which extend up to 300 m in length and about fifty meters high, display irregularities and cracks colonized notably by the hairy melic grass (Melica ciliata) and the rounded sorrel (Rumex scutatus) that also grow on the scree at the foot of the rock walls. The site serves as a refuge for a rich fauna, notably for reptiles like the wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), day butterflies, orthopterans, as well as solitary bees and wasps.

Public access: - Decrease in the tranquility of the quarry due to the presence of a residence and especially a rural gîte.
Type: Site of Great Biological Interest (SGIB)

La biodiversité en Wallonie