La Planche Washhouse

Historic site and monument

Image illustrative — © St-Sorlin-de-Morestel

Chemin de la Planche
38510 Saint-Sorlin-de-Morestel

Call us 04 74 80 19 59

Life in the hamlets used to revolve around the washhouses. Along with the cafés, they were places to meet. The local women would come here to rinse their laundry and catch up on the village news.

This is a good example of a straightforward, functional building. While stone was reserved for prestigious buildings, the washhouse is made of less costly materials. The concrete basin is surrounded by concrete panel walls. The building is partially covered by a roof which was restored to its original appearance when a single sheet of metal roofing was replaced by a double-slope roof of fish-scale tiles. This technique is typically used on local buildings.