Discover Lachaise

In Lachaise, medieval architecture, traces of a castle and paths through a landscape shaped by waterways come together. Two routes offer different highlights: the PAPSE trail passes an old motte and a vineyard; the Sentier au fil de l'eau brings bridges, fords and mills into focus. Together with the Church of Saint-Vivien and the Moulin de la Ménarde, they offer several themes to shape your discovery of the area around.

Two routes, different highlights

The PAPSE trail in Lachaise is 9.8 kilometres long. Along it stands a black poplar described as two hundred years old, with a trunk circumference of 7.30 metres. The trail also passes traces of an old feudal motte beside a vineyard. It thus combines a specific distance with historical and landscape landmarks.

The Sentier au fil de l'eau runs alongside the water and crosses small bridges and old fords. Along the route are mills dating from the early 19th century, the Fontaine à la Grande Ménarde, and the 19th-century Domaine de Pladuc manor house. These stops give the route a different focus from the PAPSE trail: here, the emphasis is on water, crossings and buildings along the way. If you are planning your days together, you can first compare the two routes by theme.

Church, castle site and mills

The Church of Saint-Vivien was a Benedictine priory, built at the end of the 12th century. It belonged to the Abbey of Baignes. A long Gothic chapel with three bays was added on the north side in the 15th and 16th centuries. It forms a second nave. The church thus shows how an addition from later centuries sits alongside the older building.

The history of the castle can also be traced at its former site, although the castle itself no longer survives: Lachaise Castle no longer exists. Richard the Lionheart captured it in 1194 on his return from the Third Crusade. A neo-Gothic château now stands on the former castle site. These successive structures belong to different periods; the present château is not the same as the vanished castle.

Lachaise also has clearly visible remains of a levelled feudal motte surrounded by a ditch. Its associated fortifications no longer survive. At the Moulin de la Ménarde, sections of wall, the entrance portal, the water channel and a large millstone remain; the channel now forms a waterfall. The mill probably dates from the early 18th century. Together with the mills along the Sentier au fil de l'eau, these details point to different historical periods, and not all the buildings date from the same era.

Waterways in the commune

The waterways also give the commune a distinct spatial structure: the Ruisseau de la Fontaine de Bagot crosses its western part, while the Ruisseau des Fontaines Blanches runs through the east. Both flow into the Né. Alongside the bridges and fords on the Sentier au fil de l'eau, the commune's own waterways provide another way to orient yourself in the landscape of Lachaise.

When looking for a holiday rental in Lachaise, it may help to decide first what you would most like to explore: Gothic architecture, the history of the castle and mills, or the water-related stops along the routes.

Discover more destinations: Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, Soyaux, Juillé, Abzac, Le Vieux-Cérier, Vouzan, Lessac, Verteuil-Sur-Charente.

For the wider travel overview: Charente.