Interesting Old Buildings

[Spardo]

[mention]Oldblueraincoat[/mention]

The Public Wash-house in Floriac - Now an art gallery.

Not the prettiest of buildings but so important in function in other times. As a young buck deciding to fly the nest in protest at my dear old Dad's authority, I rented a bedsit in Nottingham. There was a bathroom and a coin in the meter hot water bath available, but shared with several other residents and not very inviting.

But help was at hand, 5 minutes walk away was a public bath house. For about 2 bob I think I was handed a towel, a bar of soap and the key to a single room containing a bath and as much hot water as I wanted. The place was a huge room with many partitions so the common atmosphere of steam gave the impression of a Turkish Bath. Bliss.

The only slight drawback was the trudge up the hill, possibly in the snow, back home but I always was well wrapped up so not to lose the euphoria.

[RobertArthur]

Noyers-sur-Serein (Yonne):

[Oldblueraincoat]

Probably originally a Moulin now a lovely private residence

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Chateau now the Hotel de Ville in Castelmoron sur Lot

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Purchased some years ago by the Mairie in Floriac and sits in the Parc Castel.

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[Oldblueraincoat]

And a few more from recent travels

An old public weigh-house in Villeneuve-sur-Lot

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The Chateau d'Eau at Haux

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Chateau Cos d'Estournel, Saint Estephe.

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[rockfish]

I came across a public weighbridge the other day that looks complete with it's scales and mechanism intact. It is covered in information boards which I think detracts a little but they say that it was to weigh horse drawn carts rather that motorised vehicles. I assume that is why the small platform(?) size which looks like an animal pen now.

[Spardo]

I came across a public weighbridge the other day that looks complete with it's scales and mechanism intact. It is covered in information boards which I think detracts a little but they say that it was to weigh horse drawn carts rather that motorised vehicles. I assume that is why the small platform(?) size which looks like an animal pen now.

Yes, we have one in apparent working order in our village, but without the barriers, which enabled me to park on it so that Fran did not have to walk far to the memorial ceremony last May. At one point, many years ago, I thought I might have need of it when re-registering the Saxo we imported from England. I was told, erroneously, by the local garage man that it would have to be weighed.

[Oldblueraincoat]

Here's one in Meilhan-sur-Garonne which is no longrr used but kept in very good condition - you can make ot the weighbridge and a little of the bascule Oh! And a small but convenient pissoire on the left hand side.

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[Nomoss]

Near La Croisade on the Canal du Midi



There are many abandoned houses in the garrigue below the Montagne Noire:
This one is not a natural cave, but two very small rooms dug out of the rock.

[Nomoss]

This one is in Mazamet. Apparently he only looks out on fine days.



A little way along the road from the giraffe is the old Local Tax Office, l'Octroi, where merchants entering the town paid their dues.

[Nomoss]

This was once in France, but still in Algeria.
Once known as Chateau Maraval, now as Chateau de Navarre, in Clairefontaine, between Bouisseville and Ain el Turck, it was probably built by a wealthy colonial in the early 20th century, when development of the coast began.
It was apparently used for army personnel in the 1960's, but when we lived nearby, in 1969 and 70, just an old lady, who my wife visited, lived there, using only 2 or 3 rooms.
Most of the thousands of what were once holiday homes along the coast had been taken by the government, and were abandoned, with many stripped of doors, windows, shutters, wiring, lead plumbing - anything wooden or saleable. We rented our house for a nominal price through the Mairie in Ain el Turck. There was a camping site in what had been the grounds of the chateau, called Ferme Navarre, but there were no foreign tourists at that time.

"Le Chateau"



It wasn't the only "chateau" along there, as can be seen in this old picture I found on line: