Vendée: la bourrine du Bois Juquaud
To bring to a close this May 2024 stay with family in the French province of Vendée on the Atlantic coast, I invite you to visit a bourrine, i.e., a traditional low, squat and long house of the marshlands and its outbuildings, made with locally available materials such as clay and reeds. These modest thatched farms, often whitewashed, were the traditional habitat of the marshlands, as late as the 1950s.
The bourrines in the place named Bois Juquaud were among the very last ones used by people, and as they were left in relatively good condition, they were restored and turned into an open air museum and interpretation center for visitors to learn about this particular lifestyle.
The reeds have been gathered and are put to dry. They will be then used to thatch a roof.
Vendée: la bourrine du Bois Juquaud
To bring to a close this May 2024 stay with family in the French province of Vendée on the Atlantic coast, I invite you to visit a bourrine, i.e., a traditional low, squat and long house of the marshlands and its outbuildings, made with locally available materials such as clay and reeds. These modest thatched farms, often whitewashed, were the traditional habitat of the marshlands, as late as the 1950s.
The bourrines in the place named Bois Juquaud were among the very last ones used by people, and as they were left in relatively good condition, they were restored and turned into an open air museum and interpretation center for visitors to learn about this particular lifestyle.
The reeds have been gathered and are put to dry. They will be then used to thatch a roof.