Tunnels

I wonder if Timeteam would come to France?

The limestone of this area has many natural caves, some of which were inhabited millennia ago. In medieval times they were extended for storage, or refuge during times of war, but a few were used as tunnels connecting the big houses and châteaux.

Ginette has been to look at the "souterrain" (cavern or tunnel) which runs under the south-east of Le Rivalard. There is an opening into it from the Magisters' house (now uninhabited); it's very deep and in poor condition, but one can see into it when the sun is setting. I would love to see it but she says it's full of, and surrounded by, rubbish and there's no path for Chariot. She was told about the souterrain many years ago by her sister-in-law, but there was no way of getting to it while the house was lived in. Now that it's empty and some of the old agricultural junk has been removed, the opening is visible: she is very excited that the story is true. It appears to be a genuine tunnel, with straight walls heading directly under her house.

She thinks that the tunnel connected the Château Bardine (now a ruin) and the Château de Beaulon or perhaps the mansion at Les Justices, and possibly went as far as Château du Tirac. However, both Beaulon and Bardine are well to the north of Le Rivalard, so perhaps there is a whole network of tunnels like those under St-Fort-sur-Gironde, 6 miles away, and Floirac.

There doesn't seem to be much written history of this area, apart from the records of the Château de Beaulon, and the people who know are dying out. Hm, a project...