St Jean-d'Angély & nearby.

A treasure for early adventurers.

The charm of this north east corner of Charente Maritime lies in pretty river valleys and a wide scattering of picturesque settlements but most of all it is to be found in the jewel that is St Jean d'Angély itself. It must have been one of the first places to catch the eye of those early incoming adventurers who were seeking something more in their French dream than gastronomy, wine and a fortnight of summer sun. It has become a 'must' in many tours of France. The place is a delight and most of the townscape could be transported intact on to the stage of any musical.

In mediaeval times the town had a turbulent history. When Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England in 1154 - thereby adding the region to his territories - the town rebelled and suffered the first of several sieges. Today all is calm and youll hear more English spoken on the streets than ever you would in the 12th Century!

Villages and hamlets ripe to explore.

Aspiring property owners may well be dazzled by St Jean-d'Angély and a reasonable perception that its popularity would make uncomfortable demands on their resources. But the area is more than the town itself and a short journey may be sufficient to redress the balances. The River Boutonne winds lazily down from the neighbouring Département of Deux-Sèvres and the Forest of Chizé (see our Area 'The Marais and a forest'). It passes by a number of small villages and hamlets ripe for exploration. Aulney is a district administrative centre a little to the east of the valley but from Dampierre-sur-Boutonne at the county border minor roads follow the stream.

An enthusiasm for floral displays.

The river skirts around St Jean-d'Angély where it provides the resource for extensive water sports facilities and becomes ever lazier as it makes its way east to Tonnay-Boutonne - little wonder as the town, although some 20 miles from the sea, claims an altitude of zero meters. But if it is vertically challenged it makes up for it in its charm with pristine properties, tidy cottages and an enthusiasm for floral displays. These are the characteristics that one finds in the many villages spread across the plain to the north of Saintes. The built environment is delightful but one needs to be a botanist, an ornithologist or a student of small aquatic life to find much delight in the inshore flatlands that surround them. The tracts of arable land are protected from Atlantic winds by poplars and tall hedges which are manicured to regulation height by mechanical flails

A backdrop of pretty patchwork.

To the south east of our principal town we gain a little altitude and vineyards start replacing the cereal crops around the hamlets. In case one needs reminding farmhouses start planting placards among the geraniums and hollyhocks offering 'Degustations' of their home made brandy and pineau. One is, of course, moving towards the heartlands of cognac production and on route there is an opportunity to visit the Ecomusée du Cognac (see panel). Matha is the principal commercial centre and between it and the border with adjoining Deux-Sèvres the landscape begins to do more to complement the efforts made by house proud villagers. Small hills have re-established themselves and together with an increasing dominance of copses and woods the more varied agriculture forms a backdrop of pretty patchwork.