Prochain point : lat="49.07335" lon="1.925770005"
Washhouses along the Aubette
Using the slightest trickle of water
Water, a vital resource...
The Aubette River runs through Vigny, rising in Avernes and joined by Guiry brook in Théméricourt. It takes its name from the Latin Alba (white) because of its chalky bed. It flows into the Seine at Meulan. In Vigny, Count Vitali diverted its course in 1880 to supply the castle moat, the millrace and La Comté washhouse. In 1891 he built eight standpipes in the village. There were many springs but as they were not very abundant, they were insufficient for the needs of the population. Before the arrival of running water in the middle of the twentieth century, water had to be drawn from fountains or wells.
...in the service of washhouses
There were three washhouses in Vigny. That of "La Comté", which is the only one still visible today, was destroyed during World War II and then rebuilt. The single-sided roof rests on wooden posts set in stone blocks to protect them from humidity. The two pools are fed by a sluice gate and double weir. There is also footbath, a gently sloping paved pool where the farm animals came to water. The "Crève-Coeur" washhouse, built on the Aubette in 1882 was gradually abandoned due to frequent flooding and damage, before being completely destroyed at the time of the Liberation. A third washhouse still exists in Bord'haut, fed by a spring.
