Sophie arrives in the kitchen. Her sharp eyed owner observes that she has been in the wet grass excavating mole hills. The family diva is congratulated on starting the day as a vision of loveliness. Dogs thankfully don't relate to sarcasm. Her tail wags.
Off to explore a village 20 minutes away. The site of an abbey founded in 1062. By the 17th century the monastic order that ran the abbey was out of fashion, the money was running short and the huge old building was decrepit and falling into disrepair. Shortly after, a century before the revolution, it was in ruins.
The thrifty townsfolk took what was still standing and put it to good use. Down one side street a workshop beavering away repairing radiators in a part of the nave. A house with a hugely disproportionate tracery window built into what was a chapel. At the side of the car park a wonderful. ramshackle old maison de maitre with arches and a long stone staircase catches our eye.
One of the nave towers became the town hall which also serves as a primary school
What must have been the village hotel now deserted. The top floor windows open to the elements.
On the small central square 14th and 15th century houses decaying inelegantly into nothing. In Britain the houses would be second homes, the hotel would have a gastro pub and the concrete Snow White and the seven dwarfs that are in evidence in several village gardens would be put somewhere out of sight.
Away from the centre of town there are wonderful limestone houses - probably houses for clergy - with carved pillars and doorways that are far too grand for the little village of today. Some newer houses incorporate stonework from the old church. Oddly everything is covered in moss. The place has a damp microclimate all of its own. Eerily, with the exception of the radiator repairman, there's not a soul to be seen or a light on in any of the houses.
Putting Bob and Sophie out of work : https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018685575/barking-drones-used-on-farms-instead-of-sheep-dogs
Security in communications : https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-did-people-do-before-envelopes-letterlocking
7 comments:
Hari OM
Haunting descriptions, even if the village is actually inhabited! YAM xx
It would appear in New Zealand that the only thing limiting the use of drones is a lack of imagination for their many uses. Their use has been embraced by real estate agents and now drones are being used instead of planes to spray paddocks.
It almost seems there's an infinite supply of these semi-deserted and atmospheric villages in France profonde. What a fascinating place.
Sad isn't it. With a little imagination the village could be a bit charming. I am sure that France has lots of small towns that are neglected. We too in NZ have small towns with closed down shops and run down homes too.
Sophie - we think you look lovely. Mole hills and all.
It's an odd village indeed. I see many villages in this area getting spruced up, although the ancient hearts are usually the last to benefit. Housing developments seem to be the preferred path, with identical new houses and their little useless yards. Some places that are falling apart are the subject of inheritance disputes. The heirs demand unreasonable prices to sell, and meanwhile the properties degrade into ruin.
Meanwhile the centre of all these little market towns with their handsome houses fall into disrepair while young folk put up modern identikit estates on the outskirts.
The village is fascinating indeed. Your photography is excellent, as always.
Stephanie in Northern California
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