Huts in the fields: a disappearing sight in Touraine. Although this is larger than many of the little cabines are found in the fields and vineyards of Touraine, this along with many others are abandoned and falling its ruin. Originally designed to provide shelter for workers during the day and somewhere to leave their tools, mechanisation has made them redundant.There is a new book on these les loges des vignes, which was published in October 2008 and is called Loges de vigne, de Michel Sigrist.
Epeigné-les-Bois: looking across the valley of the Chezelle, a tributary of the Cher
August 2007: dinner at sunset and a bottle of Touraine Sauvignon
Virginia creeper in autumnal blaze
Not just mechanisation caused the maisons de vignes to fall into disuse and disrepair, but where we are (Preuilly-sur-Claise), we most often see them in fields where there are no vines. We assume phytopthera in the 19thC caused a restructuring of the agricultural profile in the area.
ReplyDelete(Wink Lorch put us on to your blog, btw, but I had heard your name around :-)
Jim, I understand that since 1997 or so the demolition of these loges des vignes is forbidden and grants are available for their restoration. Apparently the Parc Naturel Regional de Loire Anjou and Touraine co-ordinates the restoration. I read that most of the loges were built in the 19th century and reflected the style of rural housebuilding at the time. So the walls are of tuffeau or moellons and the roofs in tiles, slate or stone. As you know there are some fine examples locally, notably the one on the Blere bypass.
ReplyDeleteSusan
ReplyDeleteThanks for your message. Certainly a combination of phylloxera and then the First World War followed by the depression provoked a restructuring of the vineyards in the Loire and throughout France.
Mark
ReplyDeleteGood news that they are protected, although I guess this does not protect them against neglect. When we were last in Sancerre we saw that the loge des vignes at La Moussière was being renovated.
Jim
Jim – sorry, wrong killer organism. That'll teach me to type messages that the entire world can see when I'm tired :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat is the difference between maisons de vignes and loges des vignes? The Preuilly commune website calls them maisons.
We are working up to writing a blog post about them, so we are keen to be as accurate and informative as we can be about them.
Susan. I suspect that its is loges as maison sounds more substantial.
ReplyDeleteThere's a photographic study which was published recently. It's called "Loges de Vigne en Val de Loire" by Michel Sigrist ISBN - 10:2845614756
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. Details of this new book can be found here: www.livresphotos.com/Loges-de-vigne.html
ReplyDeleteThere was another study on the loges published I guess around 10 years ago, which I believe is now out of print. Unfortunately I don't have the details of the title and author.