Circuit à vélo de Rochechouart au site de Peyrassoulat

Sur les bords de la Tardoire, au lieu-dit de Peyrassoulat, se cachent des trésors. Le site de Peyrassoulat est classé Zone naturelle d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique, grâce à 3 platanes hybrides d'Occident, un platane d'Orient, et 4 ifs dont les branches forment une voûte végétale remarquable. Un des platanes est classé, avec 40 m d'envergure et 6 m de circonférence.

At the crossroads of the Rochechouart forest, the Bramefan oak stands majestically at 4.60 metres in circumference. It takes its name from the deer that "bramaient la faim" in the Rochechouart forest. A remarkable tree that's well worth the detour!

It is here at Chéronnac, originally called Carentago, that the source of the Charente river can be found. The church was built on the site of a chapel, which itself had been built on a ‘motte’ or castle mound ; the door has a carved 13th century lock and a 15th century wall painting in honour of de Rouziers, Lord of Chéronnac. Nearby villages of interest are : Montoume, where you will be surprised by the colour of the houses, which, unusually for this area, are built of red stone. The stone is, in fact, an impactite, formed when a meteorite fell to earth at Rochechouart/Chassenon about 200 million years ago. Peyrassoulat is situated on the banks of the river Tardoire and has some remarkable flora – don’t miss the two immense Plane trees whose branches spread over 40m and are about 250 years old ; or the four yew trees which must be over 500 years old to have reached the size that they are nowadays. With the added attraction of two waymarked footpaths and a picnic area you can spend a few pleasant hours in and around Chéronnac.

There have been traces of activity at Vayres since pre-historic times (Puybosse, Merlis), then during the gallo-roman period (Chalat) and the feudal era. Saint-Jean‘s church was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. It replaced Saint-George‘s church and Saint Peter’s church at a junction of several roads. To discover the commune of Vayres why not head off on one of the footpaths, taking in the views and the rich and varied fauna and flora. Also look out for the ‘clédier’ at la Treille (the local name of stone buildings that were used to dry chestnuts), the ‚lavoir‘ in the village centre (a covered pool with running water where the women would gather to do the washing) and several ‚Fountains of Devotion‘ (Bonnefont, chez Béjard) …. For flower lovers, particularly rose enthusiasts, why not follow the interpretation trail taking you through villlages where you will find many rose species, each different from other. In the summer, you can try your hand at making asses‘ milk soap under the guidance of Solenn at the F’Anes de Carottes soap factory. For those wishing to stay, there is a campervan site on the market square carpark.

Rochechouart still has the traces of a giant meteorite which fell here over 200 million years ago. At the Maison de la Réserve you can learn about the impact of the meteorite in the area, and the distinctive stone, or impactite, that you can see in many of the buildings, which is of great geological interest. The name of the town, however, is linked to the Vicomtes of Rochechouart who ruled here for more than 800 years, and to the castle built on a rocky promontory from the 13th century onwards. The castle still has a 15th century appearance and has housed the Departmental Museum of Contemporary Art since 1985. The picturesque town was once a fortified town and retains an exceptional built heritage : the Medieval castle, the church with its twisted spire, the houses built from impactite, the 15th century Maison des Consuls, the rue dorée, the prayer quarter, the Grand’Rue. Saint Sauveur church – In the 9th century the monks of Charroux abbey created a priory on the site of the current church. Consecrated in either 1060 or 1067, the Saint Sauveur church is a remarkable example of 11th century Romanesque art, in all its simplicity and its austerity. It has been restored numerous times. The north wall of the nave, the west wall of the north chapel and the main entrance door with its two large round columns topped with archaic capitals date from the 11th century. In the 13th century there were some major changes to the choir and the south façade with the construction of a limousin-style door. The twisted spire dates from the end of the 18th century (1767 - 1774) and is relatively rare in Europe, with various legends explaining how the spire became twisted. The Association of Twisted Spires in Europe has drawn up an inventory of all the twisted spires in Europe. After numerous studies it appears that the spire at Rochechouart is made up of five strips, each of which is moved from left to right by 15°. The base is octagonal and the twist is one-eighth of a turn (45°). Discover the town and its history by joining one of the guided tours available in the summer or join the ‘attack on the castle’, a guided visit in costume on Wednesday mornings. There are also many open-air activities including walks along way-marked footpaths to discover the impactite heritage or fishing on the lake at Boischenu. And, finally, come and feel the rythme of the music during the concerts of the ‘Labyrinthe de la voix’ which take place in the summer in the castle grounds.