Saint Benoit, Vienne

Description:

Geography and Transport

Saint Benoit is a town on the southern outskirts of Poitiers, in the centre of the Vienne department.  The commune area covers 13.58km², and is at an altitude of 72m to 136m.  The town is on the D741 which heads south from Poitiers to Gencay.  The town is well placed for the A10 motorway, linking it with Saintes in the south (140km) and with Tours in the north (102km).  Other major routes are the N147 (Limoges -128km), the N149 (Parthenay - 52km), and the RN10 to Angouleme (115km).  The nearest rail link is at Poitiers Gare, which has TGV, TER and other SNCF services.  Poitiers is a stop on two TGV lines, La Rochelle to Paris Montparnasse (1h40mins), and Bordeaux to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (2h20mins).   The nearest airport is Poitiers Biard (6km), offering services to the UK (reduced in winter), as well as holiday charter flights during the summer.
See also:  Poitiers

Climate

Average summer temperatures are between 23C and 26C (11C to 13C low), and in winter this drops to 8C to 9C (2C to 3C low).  The wettest month is normally October with 54mm, and the driest is March with 26mm.  Jaunay Clan is part of a zone that receives over 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Tourism

Saint Benoit is situated close to the Clain River, and has facilities for riverside walks, boat excursions and canoeing.  The Parc du Gravion has two tree obstacle courses, with the highest being 20m tall, and there are monkey bridges, climbing nets available for children.  Nearby at Smarves is the Parc Animalier du Bois de St Pierre, a 5ha animal park set in the 245ha forest.  The park has bears, wolves, monkeys and Lynx, as well as over 40 species of birds.  The park is owned by the Mairie of Poitiers, and admission is free.  Also nearby is the Ancient Abbey Saint Martin at Liguge.  This Benedictine Monastery was founded in 360AD, and houses a museum and shop. Each year in August the towns concert venue La Hune holds a folklore festival over 2 days.  La Hune has a varied programme of events throughout the year.

Saint Benoit has a Michelin Starred restaurant called Passions et Gourmandises which Michelin describes as offering ‘seductive contemporary cuisine in a dazzlingly bright, modern setting.  Attractive terrace next to a stream'.

Facilities

The proximity to Poitiers means that Saint Benoit has easy access to all the facilities of the regional capital, with large superstores and a number of out-of-town shopping areas.  The nearest swimming pool is at Poitiers 8km away.

Economy

Saint Benoit is part of the Poitiers economic zone which has an unemployment rate of 7.9%, compared against the regional rate of 8.6% and the national rate of 9.1% (INSEE 2006).  The biggest companies in Saint Benoit are Francaise d'Ascenseurs (installation and maintenance of lifts), and SECA (lift manufacturers).

Education

Saint Benoit has 3 state nursery schools, 2 state primary schools, a private primary school and a secondary school.  Colleges (Lycee) and University can be found in nearby Poitiers (8km)

Key Stats

92.8% of properties here are classed as primary residences, with 1.4% classed as second homes.  There are more females as males resident here (52.1% vs 47.9%). There are more people aged 60 or over than the national average (21.7% vs 21.3%), and there are also more retired people here (19.8% vs 18.2%).  22.2% of the population are below the age of 19.

Key Facilities and Services: