A walk to the Château de Marmande

Last Sunday we went to explore the area near to Vellèches.

We had noticed (well, you couldn't really miss it!) a very imposing structure which dominated the scenery for miles around..

It took us a couple of attempts to work out its location but perseverance paid off and we arrived at a small car park at the foot of a hill leading up to the Château de Marmande, en route to Vellechès

A notice board by the car park displayed several local walks, including a route up past the château. We chose this option and set off up what Elizabeth would call "a slight incline"..

 At the summit we discovered that the château is, as we suspected, in private hands.

However, the climb had been worth it for the views over the surrounding countryside...

with Vellèches in the distance..

We couldn't help but wonder, though, how much longer this tower would withstand the ravages of time and weather when we looked at it through the telephoto lens...

Then, with the wind stopping us in our tracks, we wondered if we could withstand the weather.....

We decided we couldn't and returned to the car for a less exposed walk by the river Vienne, as recounted here and here.