A little bit of history
After breakfast on the port we decided to go for a walk along the front at Châtelaillon Plage, a seaside town not far from la Rochelle. In the distant past there was a town there until the 12th century, when it was destroyed. Châtellaillon ‘Plage’ (beach) was constructed in the middle of the 19th century when the railway company decided it would make a good stop between La Rochelle and Saintes. The houses are mainly from this period and when we arrived 20 years ago the town was in quite a dilapidated state, many houses in need of repair. When the tide was in, the beach was limited to a small corner and in winter the town was deserted.

About five years or so ago developers constructed new luxury flats on the front, they had to reconstruct the casino as building activities unsettled the foundations. The beach was ‘resanded’ and the old rocks taken away. Old houses were bought up and restored as the town became fashionable once again and the local council improved roads and planted trees and plants in abundance .

It’s only recently that we discovered that Châtelaillon Plage was a purpose built town. Unfortunately, knowing this has ruined our enjoyment. Everything is squeaky clean and just so now, even the beach doesn’t look real. At least the sun was shining and there was a pleasant breeze.