The cabins of Vezins
The Vezins cabins
The Fisherman's Rest, Very close to the lake... Here are the names chosen by the owners of these cabins built from the 1950s on the banks of Lake Vezins, in the South Channel, where they went, with family or between friends, to go fishing. Since 2018 the water has started to disappear, then the Vezins dam was demolished in 2019, and the worm-eaten pontoons of these fishing cabins and pontoons now stand amidst abundant vegetation.
The Vezins and Roche-qui-Boit lakes are part of these hidden landscapes: not very accessible because they are below steep and wooded slopes. Most visitors only know them from the bridges that span the water reservoirs, such as the Pont des Biards or the Pont de la République. These landscapes appeared in the first half of the 20th century when the Société des Forces Motrices de la Sélune undertook the construction of two hydroelectric dams on the Sélune a dozen kilometers from its mouth in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. The water reservoirs then flooded the valley, transforming its landscapes. These lakes quickly became a place for fishing, but also for vacationing. In a few places, the banks of Lake Vezins (the larger of the two) are then punctuated with sheds hidden in the undergrowth. Built in the 1950s and 1960s, these diverse installations bear witness to a strong attachment to the place and the memory of a privileged and intimate relationship with a changing landscape.
These constructions are distinguished by multiple materials, notably reclaimed, composite shapes and styles. Beyond this heterogeneity, self-construction and DIY dominate and still seem to bear witness to the time invested in the development of these places. Rods, buckets, seats, a stove, and some grocery items, some furniture housing dishes, a bed installed at the bottom of the shed: the bare minimum for a fishing trip. Sometimes a little more comfort. But always special care is taken in the arrangements to enjoy the view of the water, whether behind windows or outside from a terrace or pontoon set up on the edge of the lake.
The fisherman's rest, The beautiful valley, Very close to the lake, The end of the world, the squirrels' house... The shed constitutes a refuge, a separate micro-universe which allowed you to escape from the nuisances of the city and the hassles work. Their isolated character contributes to this intimate relationship. It’s a place of simple pleasures: fishing, mushroom picking, animal watching, boating on the lakes, and enjoying the scenery. A place of conviviality where we meet as a family, where friendly relationships are formed, where knowledge is passed on between generations.
Lake Vezins has disappeared. The dam was demolished in 2019. Ten years earlier, at the end of 2009, the removal of the Sélune dams was announced. This government decision is part of a series of regulations in favor of biodiversity: it aims to restore ecological continuity, that is to say the circulation of species. 36 and 16 meters high, these dams prevented migratory fish, Atlantic salmon in particular, from accessing the spawning grounds, located on the upstream parts of the river, in which it reproduces after a stay at sea. This decision was, however, strongly contested by local elected officials and residents attached to the lake landscape and associated uses. A long transition period punctuated by conflicts, but also strong uncertainties about the future of dams and lakes took place, until the start of demolition work on the Vezins dam. Since 2023, the deconstruction work has been completed and the territory is looking for a new project for this sector of the valley...
Still in place, but partly in poor condition or even completely abandoned, the fishing sheds and pontoons, today with their feet in the void, bear witness to the scale of the transformation at work and the challenge opened up by this project for give a new project to this valley.
Marie-Anne Germaine, géographer.
The Fisherman's Rest, Very close to the lake... Here are the names chosen by the owners of these cabins built from the 1950s on the banks of Lake Vezins, in the South Channel, where they went, with family or between friends, to go fishing. Since 2018 the water has started to disappear, then the Vezins dam was demolished in 2019, and the worm-eaten pontoons of these fishing cabins and pontoons now stand amidst abundant vegetation.
The Vezins and Roche-qui-Boit lakes are part of these hidden landscapes: not very accessible because they are below steep and wooded slopes. Most visitors only know them from the bridges that span the water reservoirs, such as the Pont des Biards or the Pont de la République. These landscapes appeared in the first half of the 20th century when the Société des Forces Motrices de la Sélune undertook the construction of two hydroelectric dams on the Sélune a dozen kilometers from its mouth in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. The water reservoirs then flooded the valley, transforming its landscapes. These lakes quickly became a place for fishing, but also for vacationing. In a few places, the banks of Lake Vezins (the larger of the two) are then punctuated with sheds hidden in the undergrowth. Built in the 1950s and 1960s, these diverse installations bear witness to a strong attachment to the place and the memory of a privileged and intimate relationship with a changing landscape.
These constructions are distinguished by multiple materials, notably reclaimed, composite shapes and styles. Beyond this heterogeneity, self-construction and DIY dominate and still seem to bear witness to the time invested in the development of these places. Rods, buckets, seats, a stove, and some grocery items, some furniture housing dishes, a bed installed at the bottom of the shed: the bare minimum for a fishing trip. Sometimes a little more comfort. But always special care is taken in the arrangements to enjoy the view of the water, whether behind windows or outside from a terrace or pontoon set up on the edge of the lake.
The fisherman's rest, The beautiful valley, Very close to the lake, The end of the world, the squirrels' house... The shed constitutes a refuge, a separate micro-universe which allowed you to escape from the nuisances of the city and the hassles work. Their isolated character contributes to this intimate relationship. It’s a place of simple pleasures: fishing, mushroom picking, animal watching, boating on the lakes, and enjoying the scenery. A place of conviviality where we meet as a family, where friendly relationships are formed, where knowledge is passed on between generations.
Lake Vezins has disappeared. The dam was demolished in 2019. Ten years earlier, at the end of 2009, the removal of the Sélune dams was announced. This government decision is part of a series of regulations in favor of biodiversity: it aims to restore ecological continuity, that is to say the circulation of species. 36 and 16 meters high, these dams prevented migratory fish, Atlantic salmon in particular, from accessing the spawning grounds, located on the upstream parts of the river, in which it reproduces after a stay at sea. This decision was, however, strongly contested by local elected officials and residents attached to the lake landscape and associated uses. A long transition period punctuated by conflicts, but also strong uncertainties about the future of dams and lakes took place, until the start of demolition work on the Vezins dam. Since 2023, the deconstruction work has been completed and the territory is looking for a new project for this sector of the valley...
Still in place, but partly in poor condition or even completely abandoned, the fishing sheds and pontoons, today with their feet in the void, bear witness to the scale of the transformation at work and the challenge opened up by this project for give a new project to this valley.
Marie-Anne Germaine, géographer.
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