Château de Chêne al'Pierre

The Château de Chêne al'Pierre is located in northern Ardenne, in the small hamlet of the same name, formerly attached to Grandmenil but currently part of the municipality of Manhay. The site, consisting mainly of land adjacent to the castle, corresponds to the source area of the Bois du Pays stream. Here, at an altitude of 480 m, we are precisely on the watershed divide between the Ourthe basin to the west and the Amblève basin to the east. The main interest of the place lies in the presence of a superb unamended wet meadow in very good conservation condition, as well as elements of sedge and dry grassland. This type of meadow constitutes a sensitive habitat that is in significant regression in the Walloon Region and is well known for its high biological value in hosting many interesting and sensitive plant species that are susceptible to any soil enrichment. This includes various wild orchids such as the broad-leaved orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis), the green-winged orchid (Orchis morio), the two-leaved orchid (Platanthera bifolia), as well as a very demanding Asteraceae, the meadow salsify (Scorzonera humilis), and a Lamiaceae such as the common betony (Stachys officinalis), grasses like the quaking grass (Briza media), etc. As is often the case, the faunal aspect is significantly less documented. Among vertebrates, at least one amphibian is reported, the midwife toad (Alytes obstreticans), and two reptiles, namely the viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara) and the grass snake (Natrix natrix), and from an entomological viewpoint, the marsh fritillary (Melitaea diamina) and the silver-washed fritillary (Boloria selene).

Public Access: Private site, access prohibited without permission from the owners.
Type: Site of Great Biological Interest (SGIB)

La biodiversité en Wallonie