Little ‘houses’ on the side of the road, central France

[Wapping]

Despite going to the Morvan and Burgundy lots of times, I have never knowingly noticed these little ‘houses’ on the side of the road. Someone with me on a jaunt over Easter pointed them out.

Here’s an example:

I can only guess they were temporary refuges for shepherds?

Does anyone have any definite news or history of their actual use, please.

Thank you.

 

[Kritou]

Toll collector’s refuge - maybe why it has a fireplace?

 

[Old Den]

Similar little building grew up here in the middle ages.
These came about because the land at the side of main roads was in fact `free` and people would set up camp to sell food etc to travelers. Gradually these camps became small long thin buildings with long thin land that ran along the side of the road.
Obviously they could only enlarge the plots parallel to the road.
Even these days if you look hard enough these long thin bits of land can still be seen together with long thin buildings that have now become houses.

 

[Arsey]

Many are quite new but deliberately made to look rustic .
They have been placed in various roadside locations by BMW Motorrad as a shelter for those awaiting recovery after pressing the SOS button .

 

[gerarddwatts]

Many are quite new but deliberately made to look rustic .
They have been placed in various roadside locations by BMW Motorrad as a shelter for those awaiting recovery after pressing the SOS button .

.....when their K1600 gearbox packs up completely ..........

 

[Santa-2512]

Were they the equivalent of our toll gates?

You had to pay passage to use or cross bridges etc

 

[Barnoe]

With the height of that door its for small people or dogs!

 

[wessie]

https://goo.gl/maps/nQ4s3VUtopd3VYbK6 shows it is next to a farm - maybe a toll house but could also be an AirBnB for drovers. Maybe the farm offered overnight facilities for those driving livestock to Troyes, which is about a day to the north on foot.

 

[Arsey]

Or were they erected by Macron to ease att’s passage down to Portugal ??

 

[Wapping]

The one in the picture was just outside Chaource, heading north on the D444 towards Troyes. I / we didn’t see any more. It would make sense as some sort of small refuge or a ‘post’ of some kind. Next time I pass it, I’ll try to remember to stop.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/oTFCjAwCRLfHz6oc9?g_st=ic

It looks pretty old. I am surprised someone hasn’t nicked the stones and recreated it in their garden for kids to play in.

 

[Redboots]

Are they not shelters built along pilgrim routes?

There are quite a few on the roadside near me. Different shape though. More of a dome.
les chemins de saint jacques de compostelle

 

[Snaf]

The one you've posted isnt marked on the map, but there are several along that road marked as "Abri Cant", the first part translates as shelter. The second part is possibly an abbreviation of Cantine.

 

[er-minio]

The one in the picture was just outside Chaource, heading north on the D444 towards Troyes.

Weird, I never really noticed them, and I ride around there quite a lot. Interesting story.

 

[Wapping]

Abri, now that I have looked up the French word, would certainly make sense.

I too had never noticed the little ‘houses’ until they had been pointed out to me. This is despite going up and down that road, on the way to the D1 northbound, 10’s of times. There was similar little structures in fields in Provence but they were round. I forget their name; borie or something like that?

 

[Kitsilano]

They may have been the resident shelter of those tasked with road repairs/maintenance and provided with both a remittance and shelter as to 'their' allocated stretch of road?

 

[Redboots]

This is one of the little "abri" on the D950 (Charente Maritime)

 

[Rasher]

I think they are now used for Migrants, inside the French government have provided maps and directions to calais in various foreign languages along with contact numbers for operators of dodgy inflatable boats held together with Gaffer tape and a list of 4* Hotels they can choose from when they get to Angleterre.

 

[BobT]

I think they are now used for Migrants, inside the French government have provided maps and directions to calais in various foreign languages along with contact numbers for operators of dodgy inflatable boats held together with Gaffer tape and a list of 4* Hotels they can choose from when they get to Angleterre.

We don't really have a migrant problem here in France.

 

[Rasher]

I think there are several, the worst being all these GS riding tossers invading every summer.