Ajat

Perched on a hill between the chalk plains and the Barade forest, the charming village of Ajat offers its visitors a beautiful panoramic view. The church and castle form a remarkable site. In fact the church, called Saint-Martin, and dating from the 12th century, is the work of the knights templar. Its bell tower, which has four openings, imposes itself by virtue of its height (25 m). The stones in its yard mark many graves, of which the most notable is that of François of Hautefort.

The 15th century castle (a part of which was built in the 14th century), which now gives on to the church, had originaly been joined to it by a wooden bridge. The building features galleries with defence openings and a magnificent façade to the north showing the seal of the Baron of Hautefort who was holder of the castle. Although the site is private property, visiting days are organised in the month of August.

Ajat had a direct link to the Cannons Road through the Hautefort family at the beginning of the creation of the Forge d’Ans.

You will find a lovely house, whose edification dates from 1527, not far from the Saint Martin church. It was probably a stop on the road of Saint Jacques of Compostelle, which crosses through the village.

The church of Saint Barthélémy of Beauzens was constructed around the year 1000, which makes it one of the oldest of the region. With its roof of limestone shingles, the church features a façade of a purely Roman style: the crest of its gate is ornamented with archways featuring two beautifully sculpted capitals. Nearby, you can admire a magnificent pigeon tower also roofed with limestone shingles.

The chapel Our Lady of Pity, dating from 1622, is worth discovering. It was the gift of a sailor who came from the Périgord, the Sir of Chatard. During a storm on the sea, he had sworn to build a chapel to honour the Virgin Mary if he escaped with his life. In front of this chapel stands the house where Suzanne Lacore lived. She was the first woman Secretary of State under the government of Léon Blume.

Footpaths allow you to discover the limestone plains of the Causses and its particularly rich plant life, which includes no less than 26 varieties of orchids. They are a protected floral patrimony (picking them is strictly forbidden).

There are a great many rural edifices to discover: fountains, stone crosses, traditional wash houses, wells…