Benest: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The landscape around Benest is predominantly characterised by bocage. The Charente is the most important watercourse in Benest. Those considering Benest as a holiday destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment there.

Landscape

The rural character is also evident along the Sentier de Val de Charente: this trail offers the opportunity to experience the rural landscapes of the Charente, with bocage and hamlets.

Culture and History

The present-day building of the Église Saint-Justinien dates from no earlier than the 12th century. On the south side of the choir, the Église Saint-Justinien has a 15th-century chapel. The Église Saint-Justinien has been protected as a historic monument since 5 December 1984.

At the northwestern corner of the entrance courtyard, the Prieuré Saint-Justinien includes a fortified tower. The Château de la Borderie is part of Benest's cultural heritage. The Château d'Ordières comprises a keep, a chapel, a dovecote, a mill, a barn, a well, a spring and an oven. The hamlet of Chez Père Thomas is a historic monument.

The Four à ponnes was built in 1869 and operated until around 1930. Ponnes of various sizes and with decorations characteristic of Benest were fired in the Four à ponnes. The production of ponnes appears to be a very old tradition in Benest.

History

A steam railway line called Petit Mairat crossed Benest from 1911 to 1938; the railway station was located in Loume.

Trails

The Sentier de Val de Charente begins on the Grand Rue in Benest. It is a 14.5-kilometre circular route through the landscape around Benest and runs mainly along paths. The Sentier du Père Thomas begins in the centre of Benest.

Other destinations: Chabrac, Confolens, Chabanais, Nieuil, Nercillac, Asnières-Sur-Nouère, Aubeterre-Sur-Dronne, Champniers

For the higher-level travel overview: Charente.