Houses For Sale in the Charente, France

About the Area

The Charente is one of the four departments making up the region of Poitou-Charentes along with Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne.  It has been home or host to conquering Romans, exhausted pilgrims, valiant Knights Templar and warring nobles.  It charms with its soothing patchwork of rural landscapes liberally dotted with little villages and towns where traditional life seems to carry on regardless.

Each area of the Charente has distinctive features but all have a generous share of river, whether it be the Vienne, Bandiat, Tardoire, Dronne, Issoire, Touvre, Argentor, Son, Sonnette, Guirlande, Couture, Nouère, Lien, Né, Trèfle, Pharon, Echelle, Eaux-Claires, Marchandaine or Charente.

The Charente has one of the richest endowments of Romanesque art, including just under 400 churches.

It's just one department away from the Atlantic, the climate here is mild and balmy in summer.  The locals are relaxed, easy to talk to and down-to-earth.  The French traditionally consider the Charentais as somewhat laid back, loud-mouthed and zany.    They are stereo-typed by allusion to their most famous Charente products - Cognac and the Charentaise slipper.

The Charente is easily accessible via train (TGV from Paris to Angoulême in 2 hours 15 mins), plane to Poitiers, Limoges or La Rochelle - operated by Ryan Air.  Air services have now started from Southampton with Flybe into La Rochelle and Bergerac.  By Motorway (A10 Paris-Bordeaux exiting at Poitiers and A71-A20 Orleans-Limoges.)

2008