Musée industriel de la corderie Vallois

About the museum

The site is linked to the history of the Cailly valley, a major cotton-spinning region in the 19th century. A 16th-century paper mill was converted into a cotton mill in 1825, with a large water wheel. In 1880 Jules Vallois turned the spinning mill into a mechanical ropeworks, where cabled ropes and braided cords were made.

The ropeworks operated until 1978. Threatened with demolition, it was saved thanks to the efforts of its last director, Maurice Mallet, Pierre Vallois, grandson of the founder, and several associations and local authorities. The building and the wheel were listed as Monuments historiques in 1975, and most of the machines were classified in 1984.

The Corderie Vallois industrial museum opened on 11 February 1994 as the first industrial museum in France. Since 1 January 2016 it has belonged to the Métropole Rouen Normandie. The buildings and the full set of machines are still in place, driven by a Poncelet-type bladed wheel that develops around twenty horsepower.

Highlights

• Ropeworks machines switched on during the guided visits
• Poncelet-type water wheel driven by the Cailly
• English machines and small French braiding machines across several floors
• Garden of dyeing and fibre plants, free to enter
• History of the cotton industry in the Cailly valley

Permanent exhibition

• Les machines de la Corderie – Cabling machine, wing-twisting machine, bobbin winder, creel and braiding machines: the machines that produced cabled cotton ropes, twisted yarns and cotton braids.

Founded

1994

Operated by

Métropole Rouen Normandie (Réunion des Musées Métropolitains)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free access to the permanent collections.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Offers “Le musée des tout petits” and “Un dimanche en famille”.

Getting there & parking

According to the museum's website, public transport is free on Saturdays.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop and toilets available; the garden of dyeing and fibre plants is free to enter. Label Normandie Qualité Tourisme.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit