Allas-Bocage offers three concrete starting points for planning your trip: the Église Saint-Martin in the village centre, the Étang d’Allas-Bocage and two cycling routes with different highlights. The church draws attention to its architectural and furnishing history; at the pond, aquatic nature and Natura 2000 connections take centre stage. The Circuit VTT is characterised by valleys, forests and slopes, while the Bouclette vélo passes by the Étang. This lets you weigh culture, nature and cycling as separate interests when planning your trip.
Église Saint-Martin: architectural history and baptismal font
The Église Saint-Martin was built in the 12th century in the village centre. For a historical perspective, it is useful to consider the church building and its furnishings separately: the Église contains an octagonal baptismal font from the 15th century, decorated with sixteen small projecting columns. Octagonal means that the font has eight sides; the projecting columns visibly articulate its shape. Two different periods are therefore represented side by side: the church’s construction in the 12th century and a furnishing from the 15th century. Anyone interested in historic architectural forms will find not only the date of construction but also a specific detail about the shape and decoration of the baptismal font.
Pond, fish and nature conservation
The Étang d’Allas-Bocage covers nearly 14 hectares and is rich in fish; eels live in it. The area gives the waterbody a concrete sense of scale, while the eel population identifies a particular fish species. The nature around the Étang lies in a Natura 2000 zone. The meadows along the Allas-Bocage fish farm lie within the Natura 2000 site «Haute vallée de la Seugne en amont de Pons et affluents».
For the 2025–2028 programme period, measures in Allas-Bocage aim, among other things, to preserve the habitat of the Cuivré des Marais. This butterfly is protected nationally and classified as endangered regionally. These two classifications refer to different levels: national protection and regional endangerment. Thus, the nature theme encompasses not only the pond and its eel population, but also the meadows’ Natura 2000 designation and a specific goal of preserving the butterfly’s habitat.
Two cycling routes, two different highlights
The Circuit VTT N°9 passes through varied landscapes from the Maine valley to the Seugne valley, as well as numerous forests and slopes. The Bouclette vélo N°9 – «L’Étang d’Allas» passes by the Étang d’Allas-Bocage. The shared number does not make the difference between the routes clear: the mountain bike circuit highlights the landscapes between valleys, forests and slopes, while the pond is the specific point of reference on the Bouclette. You can base your choice on a clear question: would you prefer the varied scenery of the Circuit VTT or the stretch alongside the Étang? Before setting out on the Bouclette, check the latest route details, as they may change.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Maigrin, Villiers-Couture, Champdolent, Tesson, Rioux, Saint-Hippolyte, Courcelles, Saint-Coutant-le-Grand
For the broader travel overview: Charente-Maritime.
