We’re spending about 10 days at a riverside campsite located in the town of Confolens on the River Vienne, about 25 miles from the house we were staying in. We’ve crossed the border from the Haute Vienne into the department of Charente and we’re at the point where the Charente and Limousin regions meet so this area is referred to as Charente Limousine. Confolens is a very pretty riverside town and is located at the confluence (from where it gets it name) of the Vienne and Goire rivers.
Our campsite is right on the riverside and we’ve been lucky to get a pitch right on the river – probably the closest we’ve been to the water at any of our campsites. In fact Monsieur on the adjacent pitch was very concerned that Joe might inadvertently reverse too far towards the bank and was at the ready to offer advice! Other campers love watching new arrivals and their setting up, in the same way that sailors or boaters love watching other people to see what disasters might befall them at locks, berthing etc. For campervanners and motorhomers it’s the ritual of choosing the right orientation for morning or evening sun, levelling the vehicle (which we hardly ever do) and taking bets on how soon the first cross word might happen! The site is not full despite it being high season – Monsieur says that most of the French have gone to the Midi, to Normandy and to the Atlantic Coast for their holidays. We’ve seen our first signs of other Brits – a couple of other vans at the campsite and a few British cars at what must be second homes in the village and nearby.
So pitch location is great and it even has a little ‘beach’ area in front from where Joe has been able to launch his dinghy and pootle up and down a stretch of the river (with motor). The distance he can go is limited by a weir to the left at Confolens town and another some way to our right on the approach to a nearby village. The current was pretty strong for the first few days so Joe did a test again first to make sure the motor was man enough to get him back against the flow. Apart from having to navigate some large beds of weeds that get wrapped the propeller, there have been no issues. Monsieur has dubbed Joe ‘Capitaine’ and Claire is ‘premier matelot’.
The town of Confolens is a 5 minute walk away so we explored on the first full day which was also market day. The main features on the river are the two stone bridges, one of which is for pedestrians only (le q13th century Pont-Vieux) and the other which carries traffic (le Pont-Neuf built in 1849). The older bridge was a toll bridge at some point and had 3 towers on it as well as shops. The town experienced its heyday in the 15th and 16th centuries when tanneries along the two rivers were in full swing and large markets, including livestock, were held.
The prosperity at that time is borne out by the impressive half-timbered houses in well preserved roads on both sides of the river. Some of the defensive walls still exist and the remains of a keep on the hill behind the town. The town has a large covered food hall (Les halles) built at the end of the 19th century to replace the previous covered market place. The weekly market is held inside but was a quite a small affair and obviously targeted at locals. There are a variety of shops and some are obviously run by expats given the names and voices heard. Confolens is known for its festival that takes place in mid-August – the flags are out for it already but it’s hard to know how it might have been impacted compared to other years.
You sound very relaxed, Claire. I am glad you are providing ‘Monsieur’ with entertainment. It looks a wonderful site and you were lucky to get a riverside pitch.
Weather here a bit varied and the lovely warm sunshine of 2 weeks ago has deserted us.
Love Mary
Hi Mary. ‘Monsieur’ seems to be interested in everything that happens on the site but I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to speak French with him. We’ve been lucky that rain has mainly been limited to overnight so it’s been a pleasant temperature every day. Hope all is well with you. Claire x