Monceaux-le-Comte

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monceaux-le-Comte is a very small village in the Nièvre département of France and is adjacent to the Nivernais Canal, which parallels the river Yonne.

The village contains an art and tourism centre and an excellent épicerie or grocery store, which is frequented by many tourists who use the bicycle path along the canal, or those going along the canal in barges and boats. In the wake of a storm in 1999 a large quantity of wood was deposited at the side of the canal for spraying. This was moved in 2006.

The local auberge, located down a footpath from the church, is where most visitors to the village stay. It is very popular with tourists, as the proprietors speak several languages. In addition there is a boulangerie located in the main square. The Mairie (also in the main square) doubles as the local village school, and distributes prizes and sweets on the Quinze Août celebrations every year. A fishing competiion along the banks of the canal is also held every 15 August. There is also a donkey which lives in a field next to the bus stop and opposite the bottle bank.

The church dates back to the 12th century, and services are held there on a rota with other churches including the one in Dirol, the closest village, just over the bridge. There is a post office on the corner of the main road which leads towards Corbigny. The cemetery is located along the road from the church, just outside the village, next to fields where sheep and cows are grazed. Further along this road there is the Reconfort, a 12th century abbey converted first into a stately home before the French Revolution, then into a convalescent home in recent years.

The population of the village is mostly French, although in recent years an increasing amount of property has been purchased as second homes or by foreigners moving to the village permanently. This is partly due to deaths of elderly people whose families have lived in the village for centuries and constituted most of the population. In recent years British, Canadians, Italians, Dutch and Germans have taken up permanent or semi-permanent residence. The Manoir can be rented for holidays and there is also a camp site by the river.