Forest of Tronçais

The forest of Tronçais is a National forest of 10.600 hectares located in the Allier. Composed mainly of oaks reopen, it is famous being the first grove of oaks of Europe. It is managed by the National office of the forests (ONF).

Geography

The forest is located in the French department Allier. It extends on the communes from Braize, Cérilly, Isle-and-Barded, Brethon, Meaulne, Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais, Urçay, Valigny and Vitray.

The forest

The principal gasolines present are the Chêne reopens (syn. sessile oak, 73%), the Beech (9%), the Oak stalk (8%). Are present also the Charme, and the woodland Pin planted in the poorest grounds.

The exploitation of the grove is done with a “revolution”, i.e. the time passed between the birth of the tree and its demolition, from 200 to 300 years, 250 years on average.

The oaks of Tronçais, which account for 80% of the production of Bois, are famous, in particular for the manufacture of barrels intended for the cognac and large the Vin S, in particular of Bordeaux.

The name of Tronçais would derive from “tronce”, old name of the oak reopens.

The creation of the grove of oak of Tronçais goes back to Colbert which organized the refitting in of it 1670. Colbert, eager to equip the kingdom with France of a powerful navy had decided to plant more than one million hectares of trees whose trunks and branches, especially selected, were to provide to the shipbuilding industry a raw material of great quality. It had thus made write a catalog reproducing the special parts " twisted wood " intended for particular parts intended for the traditional frame of marine.

The forest strongly was degraded thereafter, in particular during the Revolution and also in consequence of creation in 1788 of the forging mills of Tronçais fed with the Charcoal. It had to be regenerated at the 19th century.

The forging mill created by Nicolas Rambourg was in activity of 1791 with 1932.

The “grove Colbert”, relic of the original grove, of which there remain a few hectares, includes/understands very beautiful subjects of which some have more than 300 years, even much more.

This forest shelters important herds of Cervidé S, as well as Sanglier S.

The forest of Tronçais suffered at the time of recent episodes:

the dryness of 1976, followed by a parasitic attack, involved the deterioration of many trees, especially the oaks stalks, and the loss of 250 hectares
the storm of the 6 and November 7th 1982.
the storm of the 26 and December 27th 1999.

There exists since 2004, a integral biological Réserve with Nantigny. of a surface of 98 Hectare (forest pieces Nos 434-2, 435,436,439-2, 440-2).

Classified trees

List classified oaks:

square Oak (circumference: 6,44 m, age: 370 years)
Oak Emile Guillaumin (circ. : 3,80 m, age: 350 years)
Oak Jacques Knight (circ. : 4,70 m, age: 370 years)
twin Oaks (circ. : 4,10 and 4,50 m, age: 400 years)
Oak Louis-Philippe (circ. : 4,60 m, age: 350 years)
Oak Montaloyer (circ. 5,48 m, age: 400 years)
Oak of resistance (circ. : 3,60 m, age: 350 years)
Oak Saint-Louis (circ. : 6 m, age: 450 years)
Oak Sentinel (circ. 6,55 m, age: 475 years)
Oak Stebbing (circ. 4,60 m, age: 350 years)

Fountains: the font

One finds in the forest approximately 40 fountains called font . Their presence is apparently related to the occupation of the forest during the history. Near some of them, one finds sites prehistoric. They in states are varied and some almost disappeared.

Most famous are:

does it of Viljot,
do it large ford (Gallo-Roman site in the vicinity),
do it Jarsaud,
do it of Tronçais,
do it Pig-keepers.

Ponds

the pond of Saint-Bonnet-Tronçais extends on 45 hectares, in the western north of the forest of tronçais. Smaller in the beginning, it was increased at the time of the forging mills of Nicolas Rambourg, and was connected to the Sologne by the channel of the Cricket. The pond of Saint-Bonnet is dedicated today to triple vocation: sporting, entertaining and scientific. It is registered with the inventory of the sites since February 1st 1934.
the pond of Tronçais at summer created in 1789 in order to provide energy to the forging mill of Tronçais.
the pond of Pirot was created to feed out of water the Canal of Berry in 1850.

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