From the bridge

Before the construction of the old bridge, one traversed the Charente by ferry. This is one of the oldest Charentaise boatyards, having been mentioned in 1286. The old bridge was used to cross to Meigne Isle and from there towards Marennes and Oléron.
A new bridge was built in 1979 to replace the older one, which having been partially destroyed by the German army in 1944, could not cope with the volume of traffic. From its parapet, the view from one side to the other allows one to imagine the intense commercial river activity of the 18th & 19th centuries. The houses alongside the riverbanks have their own steps to small jetties for boats to load and unload.

(Original French text by Robert Orgé)