Cascade de Brisecou

Located in Couhard, 2 km from the town centre and on the edge of the Montmain forest, this chaos of granite boulders and cliffs is surrounded by signposted hiking and mountain-biking trails and is next to the Pierre de Couhard tourist site. Park in the Pierre de Couhard car park and take the hiking trail to the waterfall. This path, which leads to the Cascade de Brisecou, follows the ancient Roman aqueduct at Montjeu, reused in the 19th century to power mills.
The Acaron, known as the Toison stream, flows through the site from the Montjeu ponds, located a few kilometres upstream in the château grounds. It has taken advantage of a fault to pass through and, over time, carve out a gorge that is a delight to wander through. The history of Brisecou dates back to the late Middle Ages. The waterfall does not exist. There was an emouloir, or mill. It was sold on 8 February 1475 to Jean Champriet, a blacksmith living in Autun. The mill was then abandoned for almost two centuries.
In the 17th century, it was restored and put back into use by Monsieur Gresset to manufacture forgeries. His nephew continued the business until he left to set up as a gunsmith in Aix-en-Provence.
The emouloir was then sold to a lawyer, Louis Bouheret, who enlarged the property through various purchases. The Brisecou estate took shape. After the Revolution, Louis Bouhéret's heirs sold the estate to Ferdinand Guillemardet, Sébastien Collombier and Barthélémy Boyer. They wanted to use the stream that fed the old emouloir to run five "factories" that would manufacture weapons.
However, their project failed and the estate was sold in 1810 to the Goby-Lacroute family, then seven years later (1817) to Hugues-Charles Desplaces from Martigny. It was at this point that the story took a different turn.
The new owner extended the estate towards Couhard. In 1820, he had a residence built overlooking the Brisecou gorges. Huges-Charles Desplaces de Martigny wanted to embellish the site. The "Pré du Buisson Brulé" became a magnificent English garden.
He had a fountain built and a diversion installed on the Acaron that, a few metres further down, led to a waterfall!
It is this waterfall that tourists and Autunois alike love to visit.

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