Mohron Valley

HAYBESAlso known as Haybes-the-Pretty or Haybes-the-Rose for its slate roofs ranging from purple to blue through incomparable shades of pink, Haybes – the – Martyr as well, for having suffered heavy tolls during the First World War. But the reconstruction allowed Haybes to benefit from a unique architecture with its roofs from the old slate quarries, and its beautiful master houses. The town hall square, completely renovated, offers its beautiful shining cobblestones and refreshing fountain. It could also be called Haybes – the – Flowery with the efforts made by the municipality. SLATE INDUSTRYSlate has been exploited in the region since Roman times. In the 19th century, with the development of the railway and machines, slate became a real industrial activity and played an essential economic role. The Ardennes slates had a great variety of models and found easy use for roofing. Very hard and very fissile, the purple slates of Fumay were top quality. High production costs, small-sized companies, and competition from other roofing materials (clay tiles, shingles) led to the closure of the last slate quarries in 1971.