Lathus Saint Remy, Vienne

Description:

Geography and Transport

Lathus Saint Remy is a village (commune area 98.28km²) located in the south eastern corner of the Vienne department (altitude 94m to 228m), not far from the border with Indre (Centre) and Haute Vienne (Limousin).  The village is not located on a major route, and the nearest is the N147 which passes to the west carrying traffic between Poitiers (63km) and Limoges (87km).  The village has a TER regional rail link, that connects with Montmorillon and the major station of Poitiers Gare, where there is a TGV connection.  The nearest commercial airport is Limoges Bellegarde (70km), offering year-round flights to the UK, but Poitiers Biard is also an option at 72km.  Lathus Saint Remy is close to the Gartempe River.
See also:  Montmorillon, Lussac les Chateaux

Climate

Climate here is maritime, and therefore temperate with clearly defined seasons.  Average Summer temperatures are between 23C to 26C (11C-13C night), and in Winter this drops to 8C to 9C (2C night).  As with much of Poitou Charentes, the Autumn can be warm, with average temperatures in Sept of 22C and Oct 17C.  However, October and November are usually the wettest months.  Lathus Saint Remy is within an area that receives between 1750 and 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Lathus Saint remy is home to the Centre de Plein Air, run by a non-profit organisation.  The centre has a huge range of outdoor activities available across a range of sites around the area.  Les Portes d'Enfer is a climbing facility set in a protected environment which is also home to rare and protected species of plants.  There is canoeing and kayaking on the River Gartempe, and nearby is the centres teaching farm, which focuses on the breeding of local breeds of goats, donkeys etc.  The centre takes in a riding school, a large lake for water sports and sailing, and offers activities as diverse as orienteering, caving, archery and mountain biking, and there is also a circus school sited here.  The centre offers residential visits of children of all ages, and there is a camping facility located close to the farm.  One of the departments fishing schools is also based here.

Facilities

Lathus has basic shopping facilities, and for larger supermarkets the nearest are at Montmorillon 15km away.

Economy

Lathus is part of the Montmorillon economic zone which has an unemployment rate of 6.7%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).  

Education

There is a state nursery and primary school in Lathus Saint Remy.  The nearest secondary school (College) and college (Lycee) are in Montmorillon (15km).

Key Stats

73.5% of properties here are classed as primary residences, with 18.3% classed as second homes.  There are more females than males resident here (50.2% vs 49.8%). There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (38.2% vs 21.3%), and there are more retired people here also (29.6% vs 18.2%).  17.3% of the population are below the age of 19.

Key Facilities and Services: