La Roche Derrien, a walk around our home town

So what does La Roche Derrien Look like? Well it has a market square, a church, shops, a river with a weir and salmon run. The lakes you see are officially in Langoat (the next village along) but are only 100 meters from our site so I have adopted them for La Roche, (don't tell the peole of Langoat...)

If you come and stay with us I hope that these photographs will give you an idea of what La Roche Derrien looks like and some of the places you can go.

Actually for a small town of around a population of 1300 people there is a lot of services:

2 small supermarkets

Chemist
Post Office
Bar/Tabac
2 Hairdressers
Electrical Goods Shop
Deli
Baker
Butcher
Bank (with cash machine!)
Library
Doctors
Nurses
Dentist
2 Garages

And Us..........

CLICK HERE FOR A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE TOWN CENTER (requires quicktime on your machine)

Basically everything you could want can be got here - so don't worry if you run out of milk or something.

La Roche became a "Petite Cite de Caractere" in 2006, because of the medieval buildings, and the 100 year war history there is a lot to see. Surrounding the market square you can visit the old buildings, walk around the historical paths of La Roche, the Presbytery has an open garden showing the old plants, the kitchen gardens, etc of the priests. The church itself is lovely, and the organ is the original organ from Westminster cathedral, donated to the parish by the City of London.

The tourist board in the centre of town has a lot of information on La Roche and the surrounding areas. Guided walks are offered throughout the year and are recommended for those who wish to discover the history and beauty of La Roche Derrien.

The canoe/Kayak centre situted on the River is well attended and you can hire equipment for the half or full day. If you want you can go on a guided canoe/kayak tour either just on our river The Jaudy, or out to see. The club itself is accessible and the instructors are always available to discuss accessibility issues with you and advise how the best way is for you to access the sport. Many wheelchair users have great upper body strength so it is a growing sport for those who wish to have a go.

The estuary can be fished without the need for a permit, but further up in the village you will need a permit to fish the fresh water river. You often see Sea Bass in the estuary but they are difficult to catch!

Overall, La Roche is a good place to stay as you are in a quiet viallge with quiet village ways, yet close enough to bright lights if that is your thing. Les Rochoises (locals) are very happy to help and very accepting of us "outsiders"!

We really hope that you grow to love this little place as much as we have since our arrival.

Carl Alban

More on what La Roche-derrien looked like in the 'old days' can be found here......