St-Yrieix-la-Perche, Haute Vienne, Limousin

Description:

Geography and Transport Links

A town situated in the far south west of Haute Vienne, close to the border with Aquitaine (Dordogne), and the Perigord-Limousin Natural Park.  Key roads are the D704, which carries traffic either north to Limoges, or south to join the A89 autoroute and Brive-la-Gaillard.  The A20 autoroute passes by to the east of the town.  The town has access to the TER rail network on the line that runs between Brive and Limoges.  The nearest airport is Limoges-Bellegarde, which offers a number of year-round services to the UK.

Climate

Warm summers and short, cool winters are typical of this area.  Average temperatures in summer are between 21C to 24C (12C to 15C low), whilst in winter this drops to 7C to 8C (2C to 3C low).  The wettest month is October with 7.26cm of precipitation, whilst the driest is March with 4.74cm.  St Yrieix la Perche is part of a zone which receives between 1750 and 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

St-Yrieix-la-Perche is a thriving market town on the edge of the Perigord-Limousin Natural Parc, offering beautiful and diverse landscapes, between forests, marshes and lakes.  It is famous as the place where kaolin was discovered (18c), the fine white clay that made this area famous for its fine porcelain.  Sited in an old mill, the Musée des Palloux in the town celebrates this heritage and displays a collection of pieces from all periods.  The town has a 12c Collégiale de Moustier, a Gothic church, but there are many examples of fine architecture nearby, in the form of ancient chateaux.  The old kaolin mine of Marcognac is open to the public for free visits, and another item of interest is the Bible of St Yrieix, a Roman manuscript weighing 23 kilos and displayed in the Bibliothèque Municipale.  For outdoor activities the nearby plan d'eau d'Arfeuille offers many free activities in summer, such as watersports and other land-based sports such as beach-volleyball and archery.  The equestrian centre Moulin de Cailloux offers horse and pony trekking, and the town also has tennis facilities.  There are three walking routes set out to help visitors enjoy the town and surrounding area, ranging between 7km and 14km in length.  The town is famous for a specialist breed of pig, the black-bottomed pig or 'cul noir', and there is usually an annual festival held in July called La Frairie des Culs Noire.  The town also hosts a number of music festivals during June and July.

Economy

The biggest employer in St-Yrieix-la-Perche is the printing firm Fabrègue, who employ between 400-500 workers.  The town is part of the economic zone of Limoges, which has an unemployment rate of 7.6%, compared against the regional rate of 7.2% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).

Facilities

This town has most amenities you will need, including shops, restaurants, cinema and banks, as well as an open air swimming pool that opens in July and August.  In 2009 a new swimming and sports complex called 'aqua recreatif' will open, offering indoor leisure pools and sports facilities.

Education

There is a state nursery/primary school, a private nursery/primary school and a secondary school (college) in St Yrieix.  For college (lycee) Limoges (40km), Excideuil (28km) and Thivers (32km) all offer options, however St Yrieix la Perche does have a private agricultural college (lycee).

Key Stats

Of the properties in St Yrieix la Perche 86% are classed as primary residences, with 7% being classed as second homes.  There are more females than males resident here (53.2% vs 46.8%), and there are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (34.3% vs 21.3%). The number of retired people is higher (30.3% vs 18.2%).  The percentage of people below the age of 19 is lower than the national average (17.7% vs 24.6%)

Key Facilities and Services: