During the 19th century, little by little, people went down to the valley where a smaller village - Noyers-le-Bas - offered more water, and better shelter from the wind and the sun.
Noyers-le-Bas became Noyers-sur-Jabron, and the ancient village, its spring went dry, was completely abandoned after WWI.
...well, maybe not so completely, as we will see.
The ancient inn still overlooks the valley.
Let's come inside...
Just in front of the castle, one house still has its roof, quite good condition walls and a door. Not so abandoned ?
We push the door, and...
I made a few search, and discovered that the house was lived in by an old hermit englishman named William, who had to leave for reasons of health a few years (?) ago.
The feeling of disturbing one's private place in such an abandoned area was quite strange, and we left the house after just a picture - even if I would have loved to take a closer look at the books.
Just in front of William's house, an arch leads to the ancient castle.
Too many loose stones, vegetation too invasive : it's almost impossible to get inside the castle, so we just take a walk around.
After the castle, we pay a visit to another house. One of the largest, in which people may have lived after the village was abandoned ?
Despite its poor condition, this cooker doesn't seems so old...
A former door was filled in with a former... bed base ?
And a part of the wall paintings are more psychedelic than traditional provencal.
vs 
In a discussion group, someone speaks about a 70's hippy commune in Le Vieux Noyer.
Was William the last of them ?
Nowadays, only the church remains intact and still kept.
Everyone seems as forgotten as the walls, in the little cemetary where the last tombstone dates 1930.
♠
