Carrière du Chauffour, Underground quarry in Thiescourt, France.

Carrière du Chauffour is an old underground limestone quarry in the woods southwest of Thiescourt, in the Oise near Noyon. Its galleries were cut into the rock, and inside, French soldiers of the First World War carved sculptures, four of them by Louis Leclabart. One relief shows a figure in a rounded niche with a radiating halo, gripping a long straight object across the torso, with faint reddish text at the lower right.

French forces converted this quarry into a military shelter during World War I, occupying it from 1914 to 1918. The site provided protection and housing for soldiers throughout the conflict.

The quarry's walls carry rock sculptures, four of them made by Louis Leclabart, a soldier who carved during the French occupation in World War I. The carvings were listed as monuments historiques in 1999. Look for the figure in a rounded niche with a radiating halo, hands gripping a long object across the chest.

Visits require advance permission from the owners and should be planned in stable conditions. Wear sturdy footwear and take time to navigate the uneven surfaces safely.

The quarry's carvings have been listed as monuments historiques since 1999, and four of the rock sculptures are attributed to Louis Leclabart. Look for the bas-relief figure in its rounded niche, hands gripping a long straight object, with faint reddish lettering near the lower right edge.