Discover Clussais-La-Pommeraie

Clussais-La-Pommeraie brings together two distinct travel interests: the history and architecture of the Église Notre-Dame de Clussais and the Marais de Clussais-La Pommeraie. There is also the “Les Sources de la Bouleure” hike, with a named starting point, and the hill of Le Montail. You can therefore explore the area through its culture, landscapes or a specific hiking destination.

Église Notre-Dame de Clussais

The Église Notre-Dame de Clussais was a dependency of the Abbey of Saint-Junien de Nouaillé and was already in existence around the middle of the 10th century. The present building is cautiously dated to the 12th and 13th centuries. The church’s early existence therefore predates the cautious dating of the present structure.

On the exterior, the massive portal bell tower rises above the long nave, which is framed by sturdy buttresses. This contrast defines the building’s form: the tower stands at the portal, while the nave forms the main longitudinal section. Buttresses are external supports; here, they frame the nave and emphasize its length.

The interior details also tell different parts of the church’s history. The Église Notre-Dame de Clussais contains a medieval enfeu; the associated tombstone has been replaced. An enfeu is a burial niche set into a church wall, so the terms “niche” and “tombstone” do not refer to the same feature here. Traces of wall paintings remain in both the nave and the choir. The nave is the church’s main longitudinal section, while the choir is the area around the altar.

Marais de Clussais-La Pommeraie

The Marais de Clussais-La Pommeraie is a wetland of around 30 hectares in a bocage landscape. It plays an important role in conserving biodiversity. Bocage refers to a landscape divided into small fields and plots. For nature-minded travellers, this offers a specific landscape topic alongside the architectural history: a wetland and its ecological function.

The marsh lies between Lezay and Sauzé-Vaussais within a wetland complex covering more than 1,000 hectares. The soils in the complex are clayey and locally peaty. The two figures refer to different areas: around 30 hectares for the marsh itself and more than 1,000 hectares for the complex.

Hiking and local landmarks

The “Les Sources de la Bouleure” hike starts at the Romanesque Notre-Dame des Champs church. Its starting point is therefore not the Église Notre-Dame de Clussais: the two churches are distinct landmarks, and the full name Notre-Dame des Champs is important for planning the route.

The 142-metre-high hill of Le Montail, also called “dornée de la Mère Mélusine”, lies at the northeastern exit from Clussais, to the right of the D110. Its nickname, height and location in relation to the road make it a distinct landmark for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Exoudun, Châtillon-Sur-Thouet, Bessines, Secondigny, Le Retail, Mazières-en-Gâtine, Neuvy-Bouin, Coulonges-Sur-L'autize.

For the broader travel overview: Deux-Sèvres.