Maison de la Tour Eiffel, Pontrieux
Pontrieux is a town nestled slightly inland from the coast of northern Brittany just north of Guingamp and is home to the well known Maison de la Tour Eiffel (a half timbered building in the centre of town). The town is so pretty with all its flower boxes, colourful bushes and historical buildings and I've written about it before (see posts below). This blog post however, is all about the half timbered houses including the 'Eiffel House' or otherwise called, Maison de la Tour Eiffel.
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The oldest dwellings in Pontrieux, including the Maison de la Tour Eiffel, date from the 16th and 17th centuries and are half timbered houses made from stone, cob and wood. Not all towns have half timbered houses and those that do, often only have a few that are still standing. They certainly draw visitors who love the uniqueness of the buildings.
How Are Half Timbered Buildings Constructed
Stone was primarily used for the side walls, the base and the ground floor. Wood was used for the upper storeys and the cob was used as a render and to insulate the building. The buildings were often constructed with the gable end facing the street.
So what is cob render? Cob construction is a building technique using lumps of earth, sand, straw, and water. Cob can build homes, barns or animal coops and is an ancient method of construction.
Eiffel Tower aka Maison de la Tour Eiffel
Only a few half timbered houses remain in Pontrieux, including the famous ‘Eiffel Tower’, aka Maison de la Tour Eiffel. The easy to spot blue half timbered house, sits in the centre of town in Place Yves Le Trocquer and is worth a look. It's home to the Pontrieux Tourist Office so it's also a good place to start your visit . The criss-crossed timber is painted bright blue you can’t miss it!
This unusual nickname seemed to stick at around the beginning of the 20th century and I've not been able to find out the exact origins of the nickname.
The reason so few half timbered buildings remain is due to the frequent number of fires and floods suffered by Pontrieux during the 18th century and also the urban development of the 19th century. The urban development flourished because of Pontrieux' growing prosperity. Some homes in the town have also been re-clad in stone so their original features are hidden. So if you are in Pontrieux take a walk around town and check out the Maison de la Tour Eiffel.
