Écouché-les-Vallées
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name = Écouché-les-Vallées
|commune status = Commune
|image = FranceNormandieEcoucheEglise.jpg
|caption = The church in Écouché
|arrondissement = Argentan
|canton = Magny-le-Désert
|INSEE = 61153
|postal code = 61150
|term = 2020–2026
|intercommunality = Terres d'Argentan Interco
|coordinates = {{coord|48.718|-0.125|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m =
|elevation min m =
|elevation max m =
|area km2 = 41.23
|population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
Écouché-les-Vallées ({{IPA|fr|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.[https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2015/10/26/INTB1525711A/jo/texte Arrêté préfectoral] 26 October 2015 {{in lang|fr}} On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Fontenai-sur-Orne was merged into Écouché-les-Vallées.[https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2017/12/15/INTB1735872A/jo/texte Arrêté préfectoral] 15 December 2017 {{in lang|fr}} Its seat, Écouché, is classed as a Petites Cités de Caractère.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/tourisme/connaissez-vous-les-petites-cites-de-caractere-de-lorne-c850a258-1041-11ee-8e63-074c328a92a9|title=Connaissez-vous les Petites Cités de Caractère de l’Orne ?|first=Gérard|last=HOUDOU|date=17 July 2023|website=Ouest-France.fr}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.office-tourisme-putanges.com/decouvrir/images/carte-suisse-normande/carte-sn.pdf|title=Map of Suisse Normande}}
Parts of the commune make up the area, the Plaine d'Argentan, which is known for its cereal growing fileds and horse stud farms.{{Cite web|url=https://www.donnees.normandie.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/pdf/UP/UP_304.pdf|title=Normandie Développement Durable}}
Écouché-les-Vallées along with another 65 communes is part of a 20,593 hectare, Natura 2000 conservation area, called the Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents.{{Cite web|url=https://inpn.mnhn.fr/site/natura2000/FR2500099|title=INPN - FSD Natura 2000 - FR2500099 - Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents - Description}}
The Commune has 5 rivers running through it with another 6 streams. The five rivers are the Orne, Maire, Baize, Cance and Udon.{{Sandre|I2--0200|L'Orne}} The 6 streams are the Chalau, Commune, Barbottiere, Vloger and Aunais.
{{Geographic location
|width=auto
|state=expanded
|Centre = Écouché-les-Vallées
|North = Monts-sur-Orne
|Northeast =
|East = Sarceaux
|Southeast = Tanques
|South = Sevrai, Avoine & Joué-du-Plain
|Southwest = Saint-Brice-sous-Rânes
|West = Putanges-le-Lac & Lougé-sur-Maire
|Northwest = Giel-Courteilles
}}
Population
{{Historical populations
|source = INSEE[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-61153#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE
|percentages = pagr
|align = none
|1968 |2218
|1975 |2245
|1982 |2291
|1990 |2298
|1999 |2284
|2007 |2303
|2012 |2218
|2017 |2169
}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jardinez.com/Parcs-Parc-de-Sculptures-de-l-Atelier-Balias_fr_14383|title=Parc de Sculptures de l'Atelier Balias à Ecouché (61)|website=www.jardinez.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/normandie/ecouche-les-vallees-61150/19-ans-il-porte-sur-ses-epaules-latelier-balias-4187513|title=À 19 ans, il porte sur ses épaules l’atelier Balias|date=April 26, 2016|website=Ouest-France.fr}} The grounds also feature a 12 hole Swingolf course.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ornetourisme.com/visites-loisirs/swin-golf-du-chateau-balias/|title=Swin golf du château Balias - Golf - ECOUCHE-LES-VALLEES|website=Orne Tourisme}}
- Gardens of Méheudin. is a 2 ha garden and Arboretum in Écouché.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/normandie/les-jardins-vous-ouvrent-leurs-portes-1434613|title=Les jardins vous ouvrent leurs portes|date=May 31, 2013|website=Ouest-France.fr}} The Garden was started in 1978 and features over 300 types of trees and ornamental shrubs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.parcsetjardins.fr/jardins/789-parc-et-jardins-de-meheudin|title=PARC ET JARDINS DE MÉHEUDIN - Comité des Parcs et Jardins de France|website=www.parcsetjardins.fr}}
=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.{{Cite web|url=https://monumentum.fr/monument-historique/pa00110783/la-courbe-camp-du-bas-de-la-courbe-eperon-barre|title=Camp du Bas de la Courbe (éperon barré) à La Courbe - PA00110783|website=monumentum.fr}}
- Upper Castle grounds a Protohistory site that still has remains of the ditches and embankments used for the castle.{{Cite web|url=https://monumentum.fr/monument-historique/pa00110784/la-courbe-camp-du-haut-du-chateau|title=Camp du Haut du Château à La Courbe - PA00110784|website=monumentum.fr}}
- la Queurie Lodge a 15th century manor in La Courbe.{{Cite web|url=https://monumentum.fr/monument-historique/pa00110785/la-courbe-logis-de-la-queurie|title=Logis de la Queurie à La Courbe - PA00110785|website=monumentum.fr}}
- Notre Dame Church a 13th century church in Ecouché.{{Cite web|url=https://monumentum.fr/monument-historique/pa00110798/ecouche-eglise-notre-dame|title=Eglise Notre-Dame à Ecouché - PA00110798|website=monumentum.fr}}
- Loucé Church a 12th century church in Loucé.{{Cite web|url=https://monumentum.fr/monument-historique/pa00110983/louce-eglise|title=Eglise à Loucé - PA00110983|website=monumentum.fr}}
Notable People
- André Chéradame French journalist and scholar from the École Libre des Sciences Politiques born in 1871 in Ecouches.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lecfc.fr/new/articles/223-article-10.pdf|title=ANDRÉ CHÉRADAME ET L’ÉMERGENCE D’UNE CARTOGRAPHIE GÉOPOLITIQUE DE GUERRE EN 1916|author=Nicolas Ginsburger|website=lecfc.fr}}
Twin town
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}
Transport
The commune has a Railway station in Écouché, that was opened in 1866 and serves part of the Argentan to Granville line.{{Cite web|url=https://infosgare.com/ecouche-61|title=Toutes les infos de la gare SNCF Écouché|website=Infos Gare}}
See also
References
{{commons category}}
{{reflist}}
{{Orne communes}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecouchelesvallees}}
Category:Populated places established in 2016
Category:2016 establishments in France