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Bouin
Sud
Vendee.. Haut
Bocage.. Coastal
Region.. Marais
Poitevin.. Marais
Breton.. Bas Bocage.. Plaine.. Marais
Olonne..
Situated in
the middle of the Marais Breton in the
very North-West of the Vendée, this large picturesque village was once an island
(Ile de Bouin). On the 7th June 567 the island was submerged by the high tide
and all the residents were drowned. In all the island has been submerged over 40
times, the last time being in 1940. Since the construction of fourteen
kilometres of dykes some three kilometres out into the Baie de
Bourgneuf the sea has been kept at bay. The sea was not the only invader of the
Ile de Bouin, as the Vikings invaded the island in 813.
The village was made prosperous by the production of salt and the many grand houses of the village bear witness to this prosperity.
The building of the dykes made it possible to exploit the rich fishing ground of the Baie de Bourgneuf and in particular the mussel and oyster beds. The creation of the Ports de Bec, Port des Champs and port Les Bouchets enabled the creation of oyster farms behind the dykes.
The Plaque on the Eglise-Notre-Dame-de-Bouin around which the village is centred refers to the massacre of eighty five people, which included 65 women, who had sought refuge on the stairs to the bell tower on the 6th December 1795 during the Wars of the Vendée.
Port de Bec. (Chinese port) And Port de Champs are colourful and lively fishing harbours where the wooden jetties supported on long poles driven into the muddy channel have brightly coloured fishing boats moored to them. On the land side of the harbours are the sluices to control the water level, at low tide the water rushes down past the boats on its way to the sea, and at high water the ports are lively with returning fishing boats.
Les Bouchets is similar to Port de Bec and Port de Champs except here the wooden poles have mainly been replaced with modern concrete structures making it a modern, easy to run and maintain port. Though it may have lost some of the old world charm of the other ports it has been replaced with structures that are sympathetic and pleasing to the eye and in many ways a visual improvement on the original.
Restaurants Bouin.
Auberge du Jaunay. Le Jaunay. Tel. 02 51 49 12 11.
L'Ecume Gourmande, 15, rue Pays de Monts. Tel. 02 51 68 64 65.
La Pecherie. Route Bourgneuf. Tel. 02 51 68 69 14
Photo Gallery of Bouin
Return to find more interesting towns and villages in the Vendee
The village was made prosperous by the production of salt and the many grand houses of the village bear witness to this prosperity.
The building of the dykes made it possible to exploit the rich fishing ground of the Baie de Bourgneuf and in particular the mussel and oyster beds. The creation of the Ports de Bec, Port des Champs and port Les Bouchets enabled the creation of oyster farms behind the dykes.
The Plaque on the Eglise-Notre-Dame-de-Bouin around which the village is centred refers to the massacre of eighty five people, which included 65 women, who had sought refuge on the stairs to the bell tower on the 6th December 1795 during the Wars of the Vendée.
Port de Bec. (Chinese port) And Port de Champs are colourful and lively fishing harbours where the wooden jetties supported on long poles driven into the muddy channel have brightly coloured fishing boats moored to them. On the land side of the harbours are the sluices to control the water level, at low tide the water rushes down past the boats on its way to the sea, and at high water the ports are lively with returning fishing boats.
Les Bouchets is similar to Port de Bec and Port de Champs except here the wooden poles have mainly been replaced with modern concrete structures making it a modern, easy to run and maintain port. Though it may have lost some of the old world charm of the other ports it has been replaced with structures that are sympathetic and pleasing to the eye and in many ways a visual improvement on the original.
Restaurants Bouin.
Auberge du Jaunay. Le Jaunay. Tel. 02 51 49 12 11.
L'Ecume Gourmande, 15, rue Pays de Monts. Tel. 02 51 68 64 65.
La Pecherie. Route Bourgneuf. Tel. 02 51 68 69 14
Photo Gallery of Bouin
Return to find more interesting towns and villages in the Vendee
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© Copyright Vendee-Guide.co.uk 2009-11
© Copyright Vendee-Guide.co.uk 2009-11