Abbaye de Chancelade

The weather has finally picked up, pity we can’t say the same about our health.  We’ve both managed to pick-up some kind of virus that starts of with flu like symptom’s and lingers for what I’ve heard could be weeks to come with symptoms ranging from nausea to earache.  We’ve done the obligatory 3 day R&R and now it’s time to move it and get some work done.  Just before I dig-out the ‘jobs list’ I thought we’d have a couple of hours in the fresh air and enjoy some of this early Spring sunshine.  So, where to go….

Chancelade is a little village that we sometimes pass through (depending upon which route we take) on the way to Perigueux.  We’ve never actually stopped to look around Chancelade, always assuming it’s just a uninteresting suburb of Perigueux and ‘there’s nothing much there’.  Perhaps it’s because it’s winter time and the tree’s are pretty bare but passing through it last week I happened to glance to my left and through the tree’s lining the road noticed what looked like a lawned picnic area in a picturesque valley.

We took Ruben with us, parked-up opposite the Hotel de Ville and following signs for the Abbey strolled down to the find this elusive ‘picnic area’.   Actually it was a lovely peaceful remembrance garden with it’s own small charming white stone chapel, a cenotaph with several plaque’s listing the fallen from both World Wars and the Guerre d’Algerie 1954-1962 as well as a ‘Tree of Liberty’ that was planted in 1989 to mark to Bicentenary of the French Revolution.

Chapel and Gardens

Cenotaph at Chancelade

Arbre de la Liberte

The door of the chapel was open so I had a peep in, it was quite sparse with just 2 rows of pews but lovely and bright considering there were only 3 narrow windows at the far end.

Chapel Interior

Across the road from the garden is what I guess is the main attraction of Chancelade…

L’Abbaye de Chancelade I’ve linked to a site with lots of photo’s and information in both French and English so will not try to pretend I know anything about the building.  It was quite enough today for us to just be here enjoying having a stroll around the quaint gardens in the fresh air and enjoy the warmth of this early Spring sunshine.  The Abbey is only fully open to the public during July and August.

Lavoir at Chancelade Abbey

Abbey Gardens in the Sunshine

Abbey garden wall

I love a surprise and wasn’t disappointed with the interior of the Abbey.  Fortunately the main doors were open so I stepped inside and walked down a set of wide steps towards the alter.

Just inside the entrance to the left was a rickety set of wooden stairs leading to who knows where…

Looking back half way down the alter I discovered where the stairs led to…

Staircase inside the Abbey

Gorgeous balcany

This absolutely gorgeous balcony overlooking the aisle and alter down below.  Above was an amazing vaulted ceiling…

I would just love to attend a wedding in this Abbey – it would be perfect! The alter area was equally lovely and not too over ornate as some churches can be.

Abbey Interior

Think we’ll definitely be coming back in July or August to discover what else the Abbey has to offer.

Carnaval Poster

On the way out of the village was a poster announcing the upcoming annual Carnival being held next Friday (11th March) and starting at 15h45 precisely…  Another sign that Spring is definately well on it’s way to the Dordogne!!!