Plâtrières de Surba, Gypsum quarry in Ariège, France

Plâtrières de Surba is a disused gypsum quarry and plaster factory in the communes of Surba and Arignac, Ariège. The surviving factory building has rough grey stone walls, a low-pitched grey tile roof, three large dark openings on the lower facade, and a small reddish-stone upper section with two window openings. The quarries lie mainly on the northern slope of the roc de Sédour, while the factory stands at the foot of its southern slope beside the RD 618.

Gypsum extraction at this site supported construction and industry for centuries, becoming vital to the region's development. The quarry reflects how local resources shaped building practices and economic activity in rural Ariège.

The quarry reflects the industrial life that once defined these small villages, where families worked generations in mineral extraction. Walking through the site, you can sense how this work shaped the community's identity and daily rhythms.

The site is accessible by local roads from Surba and Arignac and sits in rural countryside. Wear sturdy footwear since the ground is uneven and weather can shift quickly in this region.

The quarry gained official recognition in 2019 as an important industrial heritage site threatened by abandonment. This designation highlights how abandoned mining sites preserve evidence of regional economic life and working traditions.