French property in Poitou Charentes - Deux Sevres - Exciting Renovation and Development Opportunity in the heart of the old quarter of St.Maixent l’Ecole.

Paul Woods Independent Agent, says :

Exciting Renovation and Development Opportunity in the heart of the old quarter of St.Maixent l’Ecole.

Ancient shop and living accommodation requiring total renovation and redevelopment, offering the possibility to create desirable apartments in the centre of this historic town, between Niort and Poitiers.

Location in France

Deux-Sevres is the next departement inland from the Vendee and below the Loire, in the region of Poitou Charente in Western France. It is so named because of the two rivers running through it, the Sevre Nantaise in the north and the Sevre Niortaise in the south. The climate is very similar to that of the Mediterranean with long hot summers, although the winters can be very cold with temperatures dropping below freezing during December and January.
Niort, the department capital, was a Roman town which did extremely well under the Plantagenets, who granted the town a charter and built a stronghold, completed by Richard the Lionheart. In the 18th century the town specialized in tanning skins imported from Canada to make chamois leather for gloves, and it is also known for its angelica. More recently Niort has attracted several large mutual insurance companies, which has bolstered its economy and attracted young people to work there.
Bressuire is known for its major cattle markets, and is the centre of some rich and picturesque scenery used for cattle breeding and rearing, and the landscape is similar to that of rural England or the Dordogne! Melle is a green and florally decorated town that hides its origins as a centre for lead and silver mining, as well as minting coins. Melle was on one of the main routes for pilgrims heading for Compostella in Spain. Parthenay, to the north of Niort, was founded in 1020 on an outcrop above the river, and the medieval town has kept its character.
Poitiers and La Rochelle airports provide easy access to the Departement, with Ryanair flights from Stansted. British Airways offer flights from Gatwick to Nantes, a 2-hour drive away. Cross-channel travelers can reach Deux-Sevres within a comfortable 4 hours' drive from Caen and St Malo, or just over 5 hours from Cherbourg.