Sentiers du Patrimoine ®
Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies
Poursuivre jusqu’à l’Atelier Riopelle.
Prochain point : Lat. 49.05867, Long. 1.74142
The washhouse on rue de la Grande Vallée is an architecture very typical of the vernacular heritage of French Vexin. Located below the road, it is accessible by 5 steps. It overlooks a rectangular pool fed by a spring. The rubble block walls and the shed roof covered in tiles protected the washerwomen from bad weather. The washing stones, at an angle on the edge of the basin, were used to place laundry. The town has another washhouse located on rue du Parc, also located below road level.
The wash house was part of public hygiene equipment which developed itself quite consequently during the 19th century. The changes in hygiene habits and the progress in Medicine encouraged to separate water uses. This was when the councils started to erect wash-houses as they were not always present in villages. This equipment made the work easier for the washerwomen, as it was still an arduous task. Going to the wash-house was the last step of a laborious laundry washing process done using boiling water at home. The laundry was then brought to the wash-house to be rinsed and freed from remaining stains using soap. The arrival of the wash boiler at the start of the 20th century would reduce the soaking process but did not suppress the wash-house stage. The connection of the different villages to running water and electricity, followed by the democratization of washing machines after the war put an end to the wash houses.
