Informations directionnelles

Après le lavoir, prendre à gauche, puis une petite sente à droite entre deux clôtures. A sa sortie, monter à gauche et au carrefour, prendre la rue Alfred Lasson à droite en direction des écoles. Au premier carrefour après les écoles, prendre en descente la rue Chevêt. En bas, une grosse maison où habita le dessinateur humoristique Albert Dubout et légèrement à gauche l’église et donc le parking de départ.

Lavoir des marais (The Marshes Washhouse)
A water source that was used for a very long time

 

 

From the retting pond...

Originally, there was a retention pond here to capture water from the creek to supply the ditches of the old fortified castle. This small artificial pond also served as a fishpond and a retting pond for hemp grown in the nearby locality known as "Chenevière". The hemp macerated in the pond for ten days to facilitate separation of the fibre from the stems. The stems were then dried, spun and possibly woven. The pond was gradually filled in and became a swamp, which led to the name "Marais" for the place itself, the path and the trail. The swamp dried out when the waters of the stream were used to supply the washhouse built in the nineteenth century.

 

 

... to lavoir des manouvriers (the labourers’ washhouse)

The washhouse is closed on both sides, with a rectangular pool and a four-sided zinc roof. It is supported by four fine wooden posts. The bar for draining the washing is still there. For many years it was the meeting place of the labourers who lived in rue Érambert and rue de la Croix and who used to cultivate their vegetable gardens nearby.