Abandoned France: Dol-de-Bretagne Abattoir – Brittany
Right in the middle of this small French town, mostly hidden by tall hedges, lies an abandoned slaughterhouse. Access was simple, the only risk was being seen on our way in. French police don’t have the nicest reputation.
The first building seemed to be a staff area and offices. One room contained a bath and shower; it’s understandable that workers in this industry would want to wash at work- but the bath seemed odd. Graffiti adorned nearly every wall, much of it vibrant and impressive.
Just a few weeks before our visit there had been a large fire at the site, and the scars showed- scorch marks could be seen on many walls and warped and blistered plastic was strewn across the floor.
Across an overgrown courtyard, with glass crunching beneath our feet, we entered the largest buildings of the complex. Plain white tiles, drains in the floor and large ceramic sinks gave clues to the building’s past. These buildings in the centre of the complex were the largest, presumably where the slaughtering and processing happened. Further along the building we came across the remains of walk-in freezers, with shelves and industrial plastic door sheets left behind.
To the rear of this building was the loading area, which included more creative graffiti and large gas tanks.
According to French media, the abotoir shut down many years ago, and has still not found a new owner or use, despite its central location in the Brittany town. For now it remains a hangout for locals and a canvas for graffiti artists, strangely beautiful if you ignore its sombre history.
