Celles sur Belle, Deux Sevres

Description:

Geography and Transport Links

Celles sur Belle is a small town (commune area 37.24km²) south east of Niort in the Deux Sevres department of Poitou Charentes.  It is by-passed by the D948 (Niort to Melle).  The A10 Motorway can be reached towards Niort, carrying traffic between Saintes (89km) and Poitiers (83km).  The nearest commercial airport is Poitiers Biard (82km) for seasonal services to the UK, and La Rochelle (90km) offers a wider range of year-round routes.  The town is situated on the La Belle River.
See also:  Melle

Climate

Climate here is driven by the Atlantic Ocean, and is therefore temperate year-round.  Average summer temperatures are 24C to 27C (13C to 15C low), and in winter this drops to 9C to 10C (3C to 4C low).  Wettest months are Oct, Nov and Dec (94mm), whilst June is the driest month with 39mm.  Celles sur Belle is within an area that receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

The centrepiece of Celles sur Belle is its 12^th century Abbaye Royale de Celles sur Belle, partly destroyed during the wars of religion, and re-built in the 17^th century.  The Abbey is set in parkland with a swimming pool and indoor and outdoor tennis facilities, and guided tours are available.  Amongst other important architecture is the Eglise Abbatiale with its 47m bell tower entrance, and the 11^th century Eglise de Saint Maixent Verrines-sous-Celles.  The Maison de Protestantism (Museum) shares the towns historical links with religion and the religious wars.   The town is not only classified as a Cite de Caractere, it is also one of 600 Stations Vert (Green Stations), recognised as  for its architectural and natural heritage.  Nearby at Prailles is the Base de Loisirs de Lambon, a camping and holiday and leisure village offering a multitude of outdoor activities and facilities.  Each year in August the site hosts Les Foulees de Lambon, an 11km run.  The town has a large programme of events and activities planned throughout the year.

Facilities

The Royal Abbey serves as a venue for arts exhibitions and other events and expositions.  The town has a large Complexe Sportif, with three separate sports halls hosting many varied sporting activities and clubs.  It is the base for the Hand Ball Club Cellois, who run 15 teams for men and women, and have a Hand Ball School partly funded by the French National federation.  The town has a facility available to accommodate motor homes.  Celles sur Belle has a number of restaurants and basic shopping.

Economy

Celles sur Belle is part of the Sud Deux Sevres economic zone, which has an unemployment rate of 7.1%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).  The largest company here is Socopa Sud-Loire (slaughter of beef cattle), and Sevre et Belle (a 100 year old cheese and butter company).

Education

There is 1 state nursery, 2 state primary schools and 1 secondary school.  There is a choice of colleges (lycee) at Melle (8km).

Key Stats

Most of the properties in Celles sur Belle are main residences 91.1%, and 3.6% of properties are classed as second homes.  There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (24.7% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (20% vs 18.2%).  26.1% of the local population are under 19 years of age which is higher than the national average of 24.6%.  There are fewer females than males resident here (49.9% vs 50.1%).

Key Facilities and Services: