Street de la « Wheel to Paul »

Rue de la Roue à Paul

Who was « Paul » and what was his « Wheel » ?

Photo of the Mativet family

Historically, the Pays-Fort was a hemp growing land. To transform The rope fibres used a large wheel (wheel) operated by hand.

It bears the name of a wheel used by a roper, Paul Mativet belonging to the third generation of a family of ropers, all of whom are boys Named Paul.

Made of wood, 1m50 in diameter, it was operated by hand and trained the toupies allowing the hemp rope elements used to spin between them in agriculture at the end of the 19th century: « The rope that extends is guided by « rakes » marked in the ground 10 meters apart along the road [now the street of the wheel to Paul] thus allowing to make a single holding 100 meters ».

The street is long and relatively straight, which was essential for the ropers who needed « Common » the wires over great distances (it was called a ropes).

Water from the Sauldre and small derived channels was used to soak hemp.

Around 1850, two other ropers worked in Vailly-sur-Sauldre. (Tourism Office of the Fort Country).