Lignières: Then and Now

We return from our brief side trip down the Chemin du Gibet, retracing our path, and then proceeding a little further southwest on the Rue du Montilier, where we encounter this building (RACN 010-6456-00083) on the right side at present-day address Rue du Montilier 10. This is a typical 19th century farm house, with the residence at left attached to the barn at the right. The structure has been remodelled on several occasions since its original construction. The limestone lintel above the entrance to the house bears the date 1896, but the original entry on the southwest face (now inside the building) dates from 1834.

I cannot establish the date of the “then” picture. I suspect it dates from the 1920s to early 1930s based on the people's attire. This card, marked “Wellington J Z” in the box for the stamp, is part of a series, all of which show similarly dressed people standing before their houses and shops. We've seen one of these before, back at Rue des Hautes-Bornes 3. None are postmarked, but one (front, back) has the date July 1929 written on the address side.

The “then” photo shows another of those trees trained to grow up flat against a wall as we saw at Rue des Hautes-Bornes 2. Neither remains today; this may have been a landscaping fad of the epoch—I don't recall seeing a “flat tree” on any present-day building in the region. It has to be a lot of work to keep such a tree pruned into shape, and I'd worry about roots in the foundation and drain pipes, but it's a curiously appealing feature, especially for buildings with mostly blank walls like this barn.

This concludes our southward stroll through the village. Next week we'll set forth on another randonnée along the north side of Lignières—hope you like cheese!