Ménesplet

At 4km in the West of Montpon, the village of Menesplet extends along the shoreline of the Isle since the old mill (changed into micro Centrale), the metallic bridge of Eiffel type inaugurated in 1896 until the church since 1122 and who as kept its Romanesque apse from the 12th century attached to a nave in 1874.

In the village centre, the Town Hall keep its old façade. It is next to the post office, schools, library, village hall and the sports hall. The latter two are very much in use because the cultural and sporting life of the associations is important and always in full expansion. Many associations have more than 100 members.

The communal territory, 1891 hectares, is divided more or less equally between the recent alluvial deposits of the Isle, favourable to meadows, and the wooded hills of the “Landais” to the south, which culminate at 85 meters at the village of Fond du Cros.

Agriculture is oriented towards cattle and horse breeding, goose and duck feeding, gardening and nurseries. There are numerous and active craft businesses: more than forty are listed covering all the branches of the building trades. The businesses concern materials, petroleum products, agriculture, food, and a café-tobacco shop.

The population is close to 1700 inhabitants and has increased by 50% in 40 years. It is divided almost equally between the town and the hamlets. Some of these have very ancient origins, such as Buzet, known since 1244 for its Templar hospice, taken over after 1314 by the “Hospitaliers de Saint-Jean, and Fontenelle where traces of a Roman villa have been found. At the place called “Le claud du Moulin”, flintknapping workshops dating back to 17 000 years ago have been discovered.

Menesplet seduce by its Isle charm, fishing and hunting, hiking towpaths and bicycles, its associative life.