Arpheuilles is a village of the Cher, in the Center-Val de Loire region, 40 km south of Bourges and 10 km northeast of Saint-Amand-Montrond.
The territory of the commune is located in the natural and historical region of Berry, and the lands depended under the Old regime of the lords of Meillant, commune now bordering.
The reputation of Arpheuilles has been forged thanks to the exploitation of the rich forests which still constitute today the two thirds northern part of its surface.
Generations of loggers have succeeded in the village, also known for its coal mines (furnaces for the development of coal).
The rural exodus did not spare Arpheuilles which counts only about 350 inhabitants against nearly 600 in the nineteenth century. However, its heritage and its rich environment justify a detour.
In the village itself, the Romanesque church dedicated to Saint-Martin, built in the thirteenth century, is worth a look. Inside, there are several tombstones and inscriptions mentioning an embellishment (tiling, corbelling of the choir) made in the early eighteenth century by the lord of the parish. The church depended for some time of the abbey of Déols.
Also in the village, more recent, the chapel Saint-Louis and the chapel Saint-Thibaut are well preserved.
For visits, information on +33 2 48 63 35 27.
In the village, again, several elements of small heritage have been preserved: a fountain and especially two laundries of good quality.
Away this time from the houses, on the west of the town, you should not miss the remains of the old Roman road that connected Bourges to Clermont-Ferrand. Known under the name of "Pavé de Jugevache", here are visible some 5 km of this old road with two bridges. The site is undergoing restoration and enhancement.
In terms of the environment, the forests and woods that cover the majority of the territory are pleasant walks. During these, it is possible to discover the traces of old coal mines and especially, at the level of the wood of Clouse, the remains of a quadrangular enclosure with ditches that some historians believe to be an ancient Roman fortification.
All these historic and environmental sites, in the village as in the forest, lends itself to hiking, walking or mountain biking. For any documentation, inquire at +33 2 48 96 16 86.
