Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
in the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by t ...
and
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire (; ; br, Broioù al Liger) is one of the 18 regions of France, in the west of the mainland. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful of "balancing metropolises" ().
...
regions of western
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. The Thouet rises at
Secondigny
Secondigny () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.
It is situated about 14 km west of the town of Parthenay and 35 km north of Niort.
Secondigny is the source of the Thouet, a river that flows east and then n ...
, close to the source of the
Sèvre Nantaise
The Sèvre Nantaise () is a river in the Pays de la Loire regions in western France. It is a left-bank tributary of the Loire. Its total length is . Its source is in the Deux-Sèvres department, near Secondigny. It flows from south to north thro ...
, and joins the Loire just to the west of
Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
. It is long, and drains an area of .
The river's name derives from the ancient Gallic word for tranquil.
Course of the river
The Thouet rises in the Gâtine Vendéenne, the most southern outcrop of the
Armorican Massif
The Armorican Massif (french: Massif armoricain, ) is a geologic massif that covers a large area in the northwest of France, including Brittany, the western part of Normandy and the Pays de la Loire. It is important because it is connected to Do ...
, at altitude. The Armorican Massif is made up of
volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
and
metamorphic
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causin ...
rocks dating back to the
Paleozoic era
The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon.
The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838
by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...
. This impermeable land does not result in any important
aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...
s but is an area of significant rainfall runoff. From the source to
Parthenay
Parthenay () is an ancient fortified town and ''commune'' in the Deux-Sèvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet, and is the su ...
the river flows in a generally east–west direction.
To the east of Parthenay, the river turns north and flows on a generally northward heading for the rest of its course. Between
Saint-Loup-Lamairé
Saint-Loup-Lamairé () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.
The commune was formed in 1974 by the merger of two former communes: Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet and Lamairé.
As indicated by its name, the village of Saint-Loup-s ...
and
Thouars
Thouars () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 January 2019, the former communes Mauzé-Thouarsais, Missé and Sainte-Radegonde were merged into Thouars.
It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as ...
, the river flows onto the
Paris Basin
The Paris Basin is one of the major geological regions of France. It developed since the Triassic over remnant uplands of the Variscan orogeny (Hercynian orogeny). The sedimentary basin, no longer a single drainage basin, is a large sag in the cr ...
, an area of
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s where successive marine deposits of periods from the
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...
to the
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58
In order downstream, the Thouet flows through:
*
Secondigny
Secondigny () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.
It is situated about 14 km west of the town of Parthenay and 35 km north of Niort.
Secondigny is the source of the Thouet, a river that flows east and then n ...
*
Azay-sur-Thouet
Azay-sur-Thouet (, literally ''Azay on Thouet'') is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is situated on the river Thouet some east of Secondigny and 9 km west of the town of Parthe ...
Parthenay
Parthenay () is an ancient fortified town and ''commune'' in the Deux-Sèvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet, and is the su ...
*
Châtillon-sur-Thouet
Châtillon-sur-Thouet (, literally ''Châtillon on Thouet'') is a village and ''commune'' in the Deux-Sèvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. The village is situated on the river Thouet to the north of the town of ...
*
Gourgé
Gourgé () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is located at a distance from Parthenay.
Description
The municipality, extending to 50.4 km2, had 918 inhabitants at the last cen ...
*
Saint-Loup-Lamairé
Saint-Loup-Lamairé () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.
The commune was formed in 1974 by the merger of two former communes: Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet and Lamairé.
As indicated by its name, the village of Saint-Loup-s ...
*
Airvault
Airvault () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is located on the River Thouet.
The inhabitants of Airvault are the and the in French.
On 1 January 2019, the former commune of ...
*
Saint-Généroux
Saint-Généroux () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.
It is situated on the river Thouet some 15 km upstream from the town of Thouars.
See also
*Communes of the Deux-Sèvres department
The following is a list ...
*
Missé
Missé () is a former commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Thouars.
*
Thouars
Thouars () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 January 2019, the former communes Mauzé-Thouarsais, Missé and Sainte-Radegonde were merged into Thouars.
It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as ...
*
Taizon
Taizon is a village in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine ''région'' of France.
Overview
It is situated on the River Thouet some 9 km north of the town of Thouars
Thouars () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 J ...
*
Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay
Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.
See also
*Communes of the Deux-Sèvres department
The following is a list of the 256 communes of the Deux-Sèvres department of France.
The communes coo ...
*
Montreuil-Bellay
Montreuil-Bellay () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
It is located approximately 15 km to the south of Saumur, and is famous for the Château de Montreuil-Bellay, which is situated in the town.
Montreuil-Bell ...
*
Saint-Just-sur-Dive
Saint-Just-sur-Dive (, literally ''Saint Just on Dive'') is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. It is around 50 km west of Tours, in the Loire–Anjou–Touraine regional nature park.
See also
* Thouet river
* Comm ...
*
Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
The principal
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...
of the River Thouet are:
* The Viette, at Parthenay on the right bank
* The Palais, at Parthenay on the left bank
* The Cébron, at Saint-Loup-Lamairé on the left bank
* The
Thouaret
The Thouaret () is a river in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is a right tributary of the Thouet.
Its source is in the commune of Chanteloup, and its course crosses the department of Deux-Sèvres, where it flows northeast t ...
, near Taizé on the left bank
* The Argenton, at Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay on the left bank
* The Losse, at Montreuil-Bellay on the right bank
* The
Dive
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
, at Saint-Just-sur-Dive on the right bank.
For much of its length, the Thouet is paralleled by the GR 36long-distance walking route, which connects
Ouistreham
Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France.
Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders the mo ...
, on the coast of the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
, with
Bourg-Madame
Bourg-Madame (; ca, La Guingueta d'Ix) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Bourg-Madame is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. It ...
, on the border with
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. This stretch of the path traces the footsteps of pilgrims from
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
and
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
on their way to
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
, and in places crosses the river using the same
ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
s,
packhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses (horses loaded with sidebags or panniers) across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow (one horse wide) masonry arches, and has low Parapet#Bridge ...
The Thouet was once navigable between its confluence with the Loire and Montreuil-Bellay. The first mention of navigation on the river dates from 1430 when an assembly of merchants in Saumur suggested the creation of a navigation over this stretch of the river, requiring the creation of passages through three mill weirs. It is possible that boats were already carrying goods on the river before that date, the cargo being transferred between boats at each obstacle.King Charles VII authorised the start of work by
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
, financing the work by allowing the lords of Montreuil-Bellay to raise a tax on wine that would pass through their land. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the passage through the weirs probably took the form of
flash lock
A flash lock is a type of lock for river or canal transport.
Early locks were designed with a single gate, known as a flash lock or staunch lock. The earliest European references to what were clearly flash locks were in Roman times.
Developme ...
s. The later
pound lock
A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats, ships and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water lev ...
may have been introduced towards the end of the 16th century, and it is known that three pound locks were in use on the river by 1608. A project to make the river navigable up to Thouars was proposed in 1746 but was never executed.
The
Dive
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
, a tributary of the Thouet, was canalised in 1834 to create the Canal de la Dive. As part of this development, two modern pound locks with straight sides and mitred gates were built on the Thouet, downstream of the confluence with the Dive. A third modern lock was built at the same time on the Thouet, but upstream from the confluence of the Dive. These locks had dimensions of length, width, and a draught of .
However the new navigation soon faced competition from better roads and the railway, which appeared in the region in 1874. The maximum boat size imposed by the locks proved insufficient, and a proposed enlargement to the larger
Freycinet gauge
The Freycinet gauge (french: gabarit Freycinet) is a standard governing the dimensions of the locks of some canals, put in place as a result of a law passed during the tenure of Charles de Freycinet as minister of public works of France, dating fr ...
was never realized. The last commercial navigation on the river was in 1920.