Thouars, Deux Sevres

Description:

Geography and Transport Links

Thouars is a medieval town (commune area 12.69km²) situated in the extreme north of the department of Deux Sevres, near to the borders with Maine et Loire (Pays de la Loire) and Indre et Loire (Centre).  It is also close to the border with the department of Vienne.  There are no major motorways in the immediate area, but the town is at a crossroads between the D938 (between Parthenay and Saumur) and the D759 (Loudun to Mauleon).  The nearest commercial airport is Poitiers (Biard), but the airport at Tours is also an option at 112km.  The town has access to regional rail services, and the TGV is available at Saumur (34km).  The town is situated on the River Thouet.
See also:  Sainte Radegonde, Oiron

Climate

Climate here is driven by the Atlantic Ocean, and is therefore temperate year-round.  Average summer temperatures are 23C to 26C (11C to 13C low), and in winter this drops to 8C to 9C (2C to 3C low).  Wettest month is Oct with 54mm, whilst March is the driest month with 26mm.  Thouars is within an area that receives between 1750 and 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

The town of Thouars is recognisable by the imposing sight of the Chateau des Ducs de la Tremoill, a huge 17^th century structure that now serves as a college.  The Chateau can be viewed by the public on Sundays.  Other significant architecture includes the Tour de Prince de Galles (a 12^th century tower and part of the fortifications), Eglise St Laon (11^th century church), and Eglise St Medard (an 11^th to 15^th century church in the heart of the old town.

There are a number of other tourist attractions in Thouars, such as the Musee Henri Barre (exhibiting ceramics, arts and furniture), the Moulin de Crevant (a flour mill and visitor attraction), and centres focussing on Geology and the French Resistance during WWII.  There is a floral park (Parc Imbert) situated next to the old ramparts, and this helped the town being awarded four flowers by the Ville Fleurie judging panel.  The parc offers panoramic views, and is not far from the centre of town.

Facilities

Thouars has an airfield where there are opportunities to go skydiving or gliding.  There is kayaking or canoeing on either the gentle Thouet River, or the more challenging Argenton River. The town has equestrian facilities, tennis courts, golf, and there are also open air and covered swimming pools.  There is a multi-sports facility (Loisirs Plus) that offers squash, badminton and Petanque, and a much bigger facility at St Verge (Complexe Sportif) that has 6 different halls for things like gymnastics, dance and martial arts to name a few. 

The town has a good range of shops and restaurants, and all the facilities you would expect of a town this size, and there is a Hippodrome (racetrack) nearby at St Verge.  The town has municipal camping available at Le Clos Imbert, 500m from the centre with 44 pitches.  There is a varied programme of events organised in the town, including the annual Atout Arts Festival held in July, an 8-day programme of concerts covering music of different genres from around the world.

Economy

Thouars is part of the Nord Poitou economic zone, which has an unemployment rate of 7.7%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).  The biggest companies (and employers) in Thouars are Loeul Piriot (poultry slaughter), Schisler (packaging) and Rivaldis (toiletries and cosmetics).

Education

There are 4 state nurseries/primaries (plus 1 Private), 3 secondary schools and a choice of 2 colleges (lycee), one of which is private.

Key Stats

Most of the properties in Thouars are main residences 87.6%, and 3% of properties are classed as second homes.  There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (26.5% vs 21.3%), and the number of retired people is also higher (31.6% vs 18.2%).  20.1% of the local population are under 19 years of age.  There are fewer males than females resident here (46.6% vs 53.4%).

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