Fort-Royer, Oyster farming site in Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, France.
Fort-Royer is an oyster farming site on Oléron Island where cultivation channels and ponds were dug into mudflats starting in the 1920s. The location is sheltered by a natural dune barrier that helps protect the shallow basins used for raising oysters.
Oyster farmers first developed this site systematically in the 1920s by hand-digging basins in the mudflats. This growth reflected a broader shift toward organized oyster production along the French Atlantic coast.
The colorful oyster huts here come from a time when farmers used leftover boat paint to decorate them. This practice shows the creativity and resourcefulness of local oyster growers who made their workspaces their own.
The site offers tours and walks that show how oyster farming works in practice. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes since the ground can be muddy and uneven.
A rare 1907 film documents the oyster farming methods used here in the early days of the site. This footage shows how the work looked before modern equipment was introduced.
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