Informations directionnelles

Peu après le lavoir, premier chemin à gauche : sente des Vachères, on monte, il s’infléchit un peu à droite puis continue à gauche en un chemin herbeux montant. A sa sortie, prendre la rue à droite, continuer en face sur la Vieille route de Meulan. Un peu avant d’arriver à la RD922, emprunter le passage piétons pour rentrer dans le bois. Suivre ce chemin , passer le long du moulin d’Orzeau ; arrivé à la route, la prendre à droite, de préférence sur la bas coté gauche. Continuer jusqu’à l’entrée du village, au carrefour jeter un œil à la fontaine puis monter par l’impasse de la Fontaine. Peu avant la fin de la montée, prendre le chemin herbeux à votre gauche, il s’infléchit à droite pour reprendre la montée. En haut, prendre à droite le chemin surplombant le village, s’arrêter à la table de lecture (5).

Lavoir des petites fontaines (Small fountains washhouse)
Where spring water and fresh news circulated

 

 

At the New Fountain...

This washhouse is fed by spring water. Built in the nineteenth century, probably before 1855, for a while it was called the New Fountain. The ironwork, painting and roofing were done in 1869. Iron posts hold up the corrugated iron roof.

Originally, the roof would have been covered with interlocking tiles. This is a compluvium, that is to say a roof to collect rainwater that falls into the basin below called the impluvium. It consists of two pools of different sizes. The washing tiles are made of cement on two sides and of stone on the third side.

 

 

... Housewives liked to gather

In the nineteenth century the washhouse was an eminently social place for the women, as was the village café for the men. Women would meet there and exchange the latest news, talk, joke together, sing...

It must be said that laundry work was very hard, physically. So, doing the laundry together made it easier to bear. A number of "codes" developed for the washhouses: official rules regarding attendance, traditions to be respected, religious taboos...