Thats what we had done Stella, when the roof on the Barn/cowshed was done, that’s what I think, of as, a ‘Lucarne’ they were very easy to build, but did involve some ‘finishing’ inside, we had two installed.
Much nicer alternative to Velux, the roofer built them! 
I love their alternative name “chien assis” 
Not quite the same things V, I thought it was, 'til corrected by the roofer
All chiens-assis are lucarnes, but not all lucarnes are chiens- assis 
There are so many sorts…(wiki gives more than 20 examples) which is why I did ask for more info… .some clarification… but… 
Good morning…………after last nights slightly fractious exchange and in response to Stella’s plea I have found a picture of the sort of lucarne that I require replacing. It is similar to the smaller of the two. I am aware that there are numerous types of lucarne on a vertical plane but my French friend insists that this is also described as a lucarne. Google translates it as ‘lumiere de toit qui ouvrant en fonte’ but that is literal. There may be a dedicated name in French which my friend was not aware of and I apologise for any confusion.
In any event I have two of these to replace and have found modern versions in most of the well known stores but need something a little narrower. If I cannot find them I shall either have to have them made up or change the internal plastering to accommodate the larger size.
Thank you.
I think you would probably have to re-engineer the plastering anyway. As you originally said, draughty and cold, which is why most people replace them with something a bit more modern (And slightly bigger). You have to take tiles/slates off the roof to get the old ones out anyway. Don’t go for the really cheap bricodepot one though, piss poor quality. Their “Site” ones are ok though.
Our roofer said, "A lucarne is some way ‘up’ the roof slope, but a chien assis, the front of it is on the same plane as the building wall, i.e. front of house.
Maybe He is wrong.
Lucarne covers a multitude…
I suspect your builder is thinking along modern lines…
La lucarne carrée , dont la toiture est le plus souvent à deux pentes et à faîtière horizontale, est dénommée “chien-assis” dans les constructions modernes
Babeth… take a look at wiki… it’s fascinating…
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The original rule was it is a chien assis if it is has a single bit of roof not in line with the main roof.
That has changed and you can still call it a chien assis if it has a square window and a double roof slope.
You have things called demoiselles too which are similar. In Italian it’s an abbaino, v useful to know
Ours are ‘Jacobine’, what the roofer described to me, as a ‘Chien Assis’ is the â gâble!
So, there we go, maybe there’s a local element to it 
My roofers used to have great long discussions about what things were called because 2 of them weren’t local, so I expect you have hit the nail on the head.
Have you got fenestrous? Further north they are fenestrons.
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Amazing the different regional definitions in UK too V’.
You’ve got me worried there V’, "have I got, “fenestrons?”, will have to ask B’, but ‘blimey, hope not’, sounds serious
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Phew, that’s a relief, yes we have got one Vero, in the kitchen which was a cave!
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Great illustrations, Babeth, thanks for sharing this morsel of architectural history. I shall be eyeing-up the roof-line of every town I visit from now on 
Our own home has three dogs sitting on the roof, all with hooks and pulleys on their brows…perhaps for lifting bedroom furniture to the first floor windows or for lowering granny in her cot to the rdc, neither would have made the journey up 
or down 
the narrow winding staircase in the 1840s 
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The bats and owls use the fenestrous here to get into their bits of attic, other smaller lodgers just squirm in where they can 
In general normal houses don’t have them around here so I was amazed to see a house with what I now know are Lucarnes when I entered a fairly local large village. I wondered how the had got planning consent as they really stand out compared to the normal Charentaise roofs. I soon realised my mistake as many other houses in the village had them as well. I wonder why they are the norm in that one commune.
Think the hooks and pulleys, certainly around here Pete, were used for hauling winter feed, hay etc up there for the animals in the winter, provided insulation for the house too.
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