SERVIES BELL TOWER - MONT LOZÈRE ET GOULET

“The Lozère bell towers, known as “turment bell towers”, interest a cultural and geographical area limited to the fringes of Mont Lozère.
Built in hamlets without a church, these buildings appear as an extension of the voice of the parish church. Their formerly diverse functions (angelus, tolling bell, call for the municipal school, prevention against hailstorms, sound signal for people lost in the fog), are today limited to tolling bells and fires. These bell towers are similar to the type of single bay wall bell tower with a round arch and are erected on a rectangular base thinning towards the top. Most are built in granite, but also in shale or limestone. Some bell towers are equipped with a small box for the ringer, made in the thickness of the base [...]"
Information from the Mérimée database