Yes, the borough of St Rémy sur Creuse was founded by Richard "Cœur de Lion" about 1180.

In that time, according to Régine Pernoud's book: "Aliénor d'Aquitaine", people would say "the town of St Rémy…"

Along centuries, our parish became more unassuming. But it is worth a detour.

YOU COME FROM THE NORTH OF THE LOIRE RIVER?

As soon as you breathe the air of "Poitou" you leave the motorway "l'Aquitaine" at Ste Maure and take

"Nationale 10" as far as La Celle St.Avant. There, you turn left to Descartes.

Yes, Descartes is our great XVII Th. century philosopher's country. On the square, his statue welcomes you as you pass. If you can spare the time, visit his house, turned into a museum.

Now take the road to Dangé St-Romain, then turn left. When you arrive on the bridge over the Creuse river, in the

distance, on your left, you can catch sight of the church of St-Rémy on a hilltop.

When reaching St-Rémy, move slowly forward: on your right you can see the first troglodytic caves. A signpost shows: "Eglise". The road winds up, nearly getting hollow. Drive on.... St.Rémy's small Norman church shows a noticeable

consistency with its large square Norman tower at the transept crossing and its very fine roof of reddish brown flat tiles.

In front of the door is a shelter with a fine wooden baluster. Step forward and look up: on your left, a quaint stone stained glass window: unique in its kind, it is shown in the book of art.

Watch the portal: it is a little damaged, but the right capital, on top of the column, shows a rather well preserved bird.

The inside of the church is simple. The gothic capitals of the choir and the Norman ones on the first two pillars show very worn floral decorations.

The nave seems to have been rebuilt in the XVII Th. century. In the central cupola, the keystone is a statuette: maybe St.Rémy...

In the churchyard around, you'll find a very fine granite cross, said "Hosanna cross".

200 yards away from the church, the "ganne" tower is the only remains of the four towers of the feudal castle built by Richard "Coeur de Lion". Close by church, in the priory overlooking the Creuse valley, monks would formerly live. Doesn't this hill still look fine nowadays?

But do you really wish to discover Saint-Rémy?

Leave your car there, close to the church. Two shady lanes are in front of you. One lead down to the village; the other winds about the hill through the woods, leading you to troglodic dwellings: we'll take this one…

About half an hour's walk along a woody lane and you reach the caves. Those caves are now used as dwelling or holiday places. In the Middle Ages the legend says they would shelter lepers. More recently, they were hiding places for Resistance fighters.

You'd better take this walk in the morning, at sunrise: the rock turns golden in the sunlight... And if you want a drink, water springs from the cliff as in mountains...

You can come back through the village and walk up along the first mentioned lane, which leads back to the church, where you left your car.

Then you drive back to the village along the road leading to La Roche Posay.

Down in the village, you'll once more see the grottoes overlooking the valley.

A little farther, you can admire the castle of " La Chèze ", gallantly leaning back against the hillside, with its square tower and its very neat buildings dating back to the XIV Th. century.

Good bye St Rémy!

If you can spare the time, after Leugny, drive on along the small road to La Roche Posay and stop at "La petite Guerche". Walk across the bridge and you'll discover the beautiful feudal castle, bathing its foot in the river Creuse.

If, instead of coming from the Loire, you come from the south, leave " Nationale 10 " at Chatellerault and take " D 21 ". You'll drive across Oyré and discover a very fine Norman church there.

Drive on...across the forest: You can stop in the spot called " Le Rond du Chêne "... It's so nice…

Then, driving down to the Creuse valley, you'll discover Leugny and its small picturesque market place, with its brown tile covered houses gathered in a half circle around the church.

Take the road again and, in this direction you'll find the castle of " La Chèze greeting you at Saint Rémy…