Écouché-les-Vallées explained

Écouché-les-Vallées
Commune Status:	Commune
Arrondissement:	Argentan
Canton:	Magny-le-Désert
Insee:	61153
Postal Code:	61150
Mayor:	Alain Lolivier^[1]
Term:	2020 - 2026
Intercommunality:	Argentan Intercom
Coordinates:	48.718°N -0.125°W
Area Km2:	41.23

Écouché-les-Vallées (in French pronounced as /ekuʃe le vale/) is a commune in the department of Orne, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of Batilly, La Courbe, Écouché (the seat), Loucé, Saint-Ouen-sur-Maire and Serans.^[2] On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Fontenai-sur-Orne was merged into Écouché-les-Vallées.^[3] It's seat, Écouché, is classed as a Petites Cités de Caractère.^[4]

Geography

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets: La Courbe, Mesnil-Glaise, Le Haut du Château, Batilly, Treize Saints, L'Être Hubert, Saint-Ouen-sur-Maire, Serans, Écouché, Méheudin, Loucé, Noiseville, Le Hamel and Fontenai-sur-Orne.

The parts of the commune that contains Batilly and La Courbe is part of the area known as Suisse Normande.^[5]

Écouché-les-Vallées along with another 69 communes is part of a 20,593 hectare, Natura 2000 conservation area, called the Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents.^[6]

The Commune has 5 rivers running through it with another 6 streams. The five rivers are the Orne, Maire, Baize, Cance and Udon. The 6 streams are the Chalau, Commune, Barbottiere, Vloger and Aunais.

Notable buildings and places

• Parc de Sculptures de l'Atelier Balias is a 4 Hectare garden that is open to the public. It features over 55 statues today and was created in 1825.^{[7] [8]}
• Gardens of Méheudin. is a 2 ha garden and Arboretum in Écouché.^[9] The Garden was started in 1978 and features over 300 types of trees and ornamental shrubs.^[10]

National heritage sites

The Commune has 5 buildings and areas listed as a Monument historique.

• Lower grounds of la Courbe a barred spur from a Protohistory site.^[11]
• Upper Castle grounds a Protohistory site that still has remains of the ditches and embankments used for the castle.^[12]
• la Queurie Lodge a 15th century manor in La Courbe.^[13]
• Notre Dame Church a 13th century church in Ecouché.^[14]
• Loucé Church a 12th century church in Loucé.^[15]

Notable People

• André Chéradame French journalist and scholar from the École Libre des Sciences Politiques born in 1871 in Ecouches.^[16]

Twin town

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France.

• Elze, Germany since 1971.^[17]

Transport

The commune has a Railway station in Écouché, that was opened in 1866 and serves part of the Argentan to Granville line.^[18]

See also

• Communes of the Orne department

Notes and References

1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les maires. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022. fr.
2. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2015/10/26/INTB1525711A/jo/texte Arrêté préfectoral
3. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2017/12/15/INTB1735872A/jo/texte Arrêté préfectoral
4. Web site: Connaissez-vous les Petites Cités de Caractère de l’Orne ?. Gérard. HOUDOU. 17 July 2023. Ouest-France.fr.
5. Web site: Map of Suisse Normande.
6. Web site: INPN - FSD Natura 2000 - FR2500099 - Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents - Description.
7. Web site: Parc de Sculptures de l'Atelier Balias à Ecouché (61). www.jardinez.com.
8. Web site: À 19 ans, il porte sur ses épaules l’atelier Balias. April 26, 2016. Ouest-France.fr.
9. Web site: Les jardins vous ouvrent leurs portes. May 31, 2013. Ouest-France.fr.
10. Web site: PARC ET JARDINS DE MÉHEUDIN - Comité des Parcs et Jardins de France. www.parcsetjardins.fr.
11. Web site: Camp du Bas de la Courbe (éperon barré) à La Courbe - PA00110783. monumentum.fr.
12. Web site: Camp du Haut du Château à La Courbe - PA00110784. monumentum.fr.
13. Web site: Logis de la Queurie à La Courbe - PA00110785. monumentum.fr.
14. Web site: Eglise Notre-Dame à Ecouché - PA00110798. monumentum.fr.
15. Web site: Eglise à Loucé - PA00110983. monumentum.fr.
16. Web site: ANDRÉ CHÉRADAME ET L’ÉMERGENCE D’UNE CARTOGRAPHIE GÉOPOLITIQUE DE GUERRE EN 1916. Nicolas Ginsburger. lecfc.fr.
17. Web site: Jumelage - Commune d'Écouché-les-Vallées - Site officiel. www.ecouchelesvallees.fr.
18. Web site: Toutes les infos de la gare SNCF Écouché. Infos Gare.