At the edge of the woods you will find a curious dry stone construction: the ‘borie’ – a stone hut, which is typical of the traditional know-how of our region. This structure is distinguished by its load-bearing vault, an ingenious architectural technique which provides great strength.
In times gone by these huts served as a refuge for farmers who might not live nearby, and provided a space to store tools, animals and crops and are a good example of the rural heritage of Tourtoirac and its surroundings.
Loosely in the shape of a beehive, these huts can be several metres tall and make ingenious use of the system known as corbelling, in which successive rows of flat stones are set to project slightly further inward than the one below, eventually leading to the closure of the space above; in other words, a vaulted roof. Without any formal architectural training, the builders were self-taught, and passed on the tradition down the generations.
Sadly, this know-how has been practically lost, and more often than not you see little more than ruins, for very few stone cutters are still masters of the techniques involved in building an authentic borie.
In this sense we are grateful in that in 2012, and helped by the Fondation du Patrimoine, we were able to employ a true specialist, who was able to stabilise the roof, consolidate the wall panels and re-fit the lintel above the door.
