Saint Pons-la-Calm

Much of this small village has uncharcteristic wide streets, with the most open streets along the northern edge, bordering the fields.

The oldest and most medieval part of St-Pons-la-Calm in tucked into the southeast corner of the village. The principle street through here is actually called Le Vieux Village (the old village). The style of some of the buildings in this area, and a few of the doorways, obviously go back a few centuries.

Silkworms

St-Pons-la-Calm had some silkworm industry, probably in the 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the streets in the old village is named "Rue de la Magnaneire", and a magnaneire is a building where silkworms are raised.

Ancient Railway Line. The old railway line passed along the south side of the Tave river, just 800 m south of St-Pons-la-Calm village, and the road out of the village is still named route de la Gare. The old station location is at the road junction and hamlet of Le Moulin (the mill), but there's nothing left of it to see.

Lavoir

St-Pons-la-Calm has a very nice old 18th-century lavoir (washhouse), tucked down below the eastern edge of the old village, down a ramp off the Rue de la Grande Fontaine.

The original village fountain is here, built in 1784, although it was built to replace an even older fountain. The fountain, covered lavoir and drinking troughs here served the main water needs for the village, for people and animals drinking and for washing clothes.

The fountain and lavoir were restored, very nicely, in 2005.