Two washhouses face to face with a sluice gate inbetween at Valaires. Deux lavoirs face à face avec une vanne entre les deux à Valaires.
Category Archives: Lavoirs
Fifteenth Century Wash House – Lavoir du XVème
The system that enables the washerwomen to be level with the water can be seen in this washhouse, built in the 15th century on the Saint Jacques branch of the Loir River in Vendôme. It is one of the rare examples of a two-story washhouse, designed exclusively for a community, in this case the Cordeliers …
Continue reading “Fifteenth Century Wash House – Lavoir du XVème”
Lavoir de Vallières les Grandes
A lavoir is a public place for washing clothes, usually fed by a spring or a river. Many, such as this one, have roofs for shelter. The lavoir in Vallières les Grandes has an interesting fountain with 3 heads. Les lavoirs publics étaient alimentés soit par une source soit par une rivière. Ils étaient souvent …