The Old Block

Many of the houses in French country villages have the remnants of lifting gear at the dormer window into their attic. Mostly this is just a beam sticking out above the window, sometimes with the hook for the block (pulley) in place. It is rare to see the actual pulley, so when I saw this one is Angles sur l'Anglin last Sunday I needed to photograph it.

The block is above the dormer of
the house in the foreground

The hooks were usually used for lifting sacks of grain into the attic: attics are a good place for grain as they are usually (assuming the roof is watertight) dry places. I am sure, though, that more adventurous types have lifted furniture to the upper story and in through a window using the hooks, rather than negotiating narrow staircases.

Simon