Washing place of Chalaye - Sugny

This wash house from the second half of the 19th century is located near Lake Chalaye , is accessible via a dirt road and is located in a wooded area. The washhouse is located near the Moulin de Gigue stream and the Chalay ponds, which supply it with water.

The wash houses emerged at that time because more importance was attached to hygiene for health reasons. The rectangular building has a slate gambrel roof over an oak frame. The walls are made of slate sandstone. The interior floor is paved with sandstone.

Five rectangular bluestone basins , covered with a cement apron, were once used for washing and rinsing linen.
Three of these basins , with the same dimensions, are the sinks. The other two , also identical, are perpendicular to the first and were used for washing.

A French stone fireplace. in one of the corners of the room was used to heat the room in winter and to produce ash. Ash was used in the 19th century as soap to bleach linen and remove the most stubborn stains.
Benches along the walls were used to sit and place the wash hoods.

Willem Vandenameele