Rochechouart, Haute Vienne, Limousin

Description:

Geography and Transport Links

A small town (commune area 53.88km²) situated to the south of St Junien, in the west of Haute Vienne close to the border with Charente.  The RN141 is the nearest major road, passing by to the north of the town, carrying traffic between Angouleme and Limoges.  The town does not have a rail link, and the nearest is at St Junien for access to the TER local services.  The nearest airport is Limoges-Bellegarde, which has an increasing number of year-round services to destinations in the UK.

Climate

Warm summers and moderate winters are typical for Rochecouart, a place that is also drier than many of its more easterly Limousin neighbours.  Average winter temperatures range from 7C to 8C (low 2C to 3C), whilst in summer this rises to 21C to 24C (12C to 15C low).  The wettest month is October with 7.26cm of precipitation, whilst the driest is March with 4.74cm on average.  Rochechouart is part of a zone that receives between 1750 and 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Two hundred million years ago Rochechouart was the impact site of one of the largest meteorites ever to collide with earth.  The area is referred to as 'pays de la meteorite', and there is a museum dedicated to the subject within the town, called Espace Meteorite Paul Pellas.  The only noticeable traces of the event remaining can be seen in the stone used to build many of the buildings in the town.  One such building is the Chateau de Rochechouart, originally built around the thirteenth century, it now houses the town hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art.  The Eglise Saint Sauveur which originates from the eleventh century, but has been altered and updated over the centuries, is home to a museum of sacred art, and not far away at Biennnac ia the Romanesque church Saint Julien de Brioude, with Gothic vault. Nearby is the Plan d'eau de Boischenu, a seven hectare fishing lake with play park and picnic facilities, and around Rochechouart there are four marked hiking trails, with some 150km of pathways to enjoy.

Economy

Rochechouart is a relatively small town, and the economy is a mix of commerce, services and three larger companies.  The quarrying firm Carrieres de Champagnac is joined by Marcel Faure (manufacture of ladies shoes) and SCA Packaging Nicollet as the major industry in the area.  Rochechouart is part of the economic zone of the same name, which has an unemployment rate of 6.7%, compared against the regional rate of 7.2% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).

Facilities

This small town has most amenities you would expect, including shops, restaurants, hairdressers and banks.  There is also an aqua centre with slides, sauna, Jacuzzi and a sports centre at St Junien (11km), where you will also find 2 cinemas.  The town has a Carrefour (formerly Champion) supermarket, and a number of smaller local shops.

Education

There is 1 state Nursery/Primary School and 1 Secondary School (College). For College (Lycee), however, children travel to St Junien 11km or for more choice Limoges (40km).

Key Stats

Of the properties in Rochechouart 79.2% are classed as primary residences, with 9.7% being classed as second homes.  There are more females than males resident here (52.9% vs 47.1%), and there are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (37.6% vs 21.3%). The number of retired people is higher (31.4% vs 18.2%).  The percentage of people below the age of 19 is lower than the national average (17.3% vs 24.6%)

Key Facilities and Services: