Attractions and Places To See around Salles-De-Barbezieux - Top 12

Consider deviating from the cycle path for a few minutes. Church your real the detour

The church is in the form of a rectangle thirty meters long and ten meters wide, flanked by 4 buttresses, one of which is located on the north wing and the 3 others on the south wing, a bell tower and a small extension on the south west part housing a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Massive building, reinforced by buttresses, low and poorly lit, it has a facade with a Romanesque portal surmounted by a large rose window. This gate is made up of 2 straight legs, and a projecting coving made up of 3 semicircular rollers with a keystone. The oculus rose is surrounded by a frieze with a sawtooth motif. The porch opens onto a single nave 22 m long by 9 wide without side aisles. It is made up of 4 bays with semi-circular vaults. The south wall is pierced under the 1st bay with a large semi-circular arch giving access to the chapel. The north wall has a pulpit which bears a monogram which would be that of Louis XIV. The choir of the church, raised from the nave by 3 steps, consists of a flat chevet and a span of semi-circular vaults. The bedside wall is pierced at each end with a rectangular door allowing access to the sacristy. The old sacristy has just been refurbished and has a very modern look with paneling on the floor and ceiling. The chapel of the Virgin is located on the southern extension of the church. It measures 13.50 m long by 7 wide, and consists of a small single nave 10 m long by 7 wide and a choir with a flat apse. The floor of this chapel is 1.25 m lower than the floor of the church corresponding to the initial floor of the old abbey. Access to the bell tower is through a door located on the east wall of the nave of the chapel. It consists of 4 floors and a vaulted ground floor. The facing is made up of medium-sized cut stone for the ground floor and the 1st floor and rubble stone coated with brown lime for the 2nd and 3rd floors.

A nice place to take a break. There is a picnic bench and an orientation table. There are lovely views over the surrounding fields.

Remains of old white clay quarries, these blue lakes constitute a locally protected habitat with its flaura and forna. You have to go slowly and leave no traces. Swimming is prohibited in these lakes.

Remains of old white clay quarries, these blue lakes constitute a locally protected habitat with its flaura and forna. You have to go slowly and leave no traces. Swimming is prohibited in these lakes.

Baignes Abbey became a parish church after the revolution. It was part of the diocese of Saintes until the middle of the 19th century. The foundation of the Abbey would seem to date back to the 11th century. It was ransacked during the 100 Years War and then destroyed by the Protestants. The current building is totally different from the Old Abbey due to the destruction/modifications that have taken place.

The church depended on the priory of Barbezieux. The plan of the building is in the shape of a cross, with a flat apse. The nave includes two first bays from the 15th century, deviated on the axis of the rest of the building, with ribbed vaults and girders. A narrower bay is covered with ribbed vaults resting on Romanesque columns. The current transept and choir are covered with ribbed vaults resting on 13th century small columns with foliated capitals. The choir vault bears the date of 1682. The portal of the western facade dates from the 15th century and has pinnacles, prismatic moldings and kale. Square bell tower with twin trefoil windows.

Church built in the 12th century, having subsequently suffered from wars, in particular that of the Hundred Years. Restored in the 15th century. Single nave plan, ending with a straight apse. The nave is divided into three bays. The walls have large arches resting on very wide pilasters. Ribbed brick vaults were built in 1881 and rest on round columns. The transept is slightly wider. Cupola on pendants. A wall separates the used part of the building from the old chancel, which had three bays of 15th century ribbed vaults. These were destroyed. The bedside wall is straight and lit by three windows. The western facade opens with a semicircular portal with three arches and circular columns of primitive appearance, and is decorated with two blind doors. Two heads adorn the tympanum of the south blind door. The triangular gable has been truncated and ends in a modern campanile. The north side retains the square tower of the old 15th century bell tower.