Ballans


Ballans is a French commune in the southwestern French department of Charente-Maritime.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Ballansois or Ballansoises and Balançais or Balançaises.

Geography

Ballans is located some 35 km north-west of Angoulême and 30 km east by north-east of Saintes. The southern border of the commune is the departmental border between Charente-Maritime and Charente. Access to the commune is by the D124 road from Brie-sous-Matha in the west which passes through the village and continues south-east to Macqueville. The D133 from Macqueville to Siecq forms part of the eastern border of the commune. Apart from the village there is the hamlet of Les Gorains south-east of the village. The commune is entirely farmland.

Geology and terrain

The commune is in a Jurassic limestone area which dates to the Tithonian at the boundary of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous areas and there are marl and clay outcrops. This is a zone of low relief that is part of the drainage basin of the Charente river. Ballans commune is on a hill 82 metres high which overlooks the lowlands of other communes.

Climate

The climate is oceanic Aquitaine.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

The name Ballans is of Celtic origin meaning "low land".

History

It was in Ballans that Richard I of England fought against his father, King Henry II of England, on 4 July 1189 and became king two days later. With the help of King Philip, Richard defeated his father in Ballans and was then pronounced heir to the throne of England. Henry II retreated to Chinon where he died and Richard became King of England, Count of Anjou, and Duke of Normandy.
In 1417 Jean Godefroy was Lord of Ballans.
According to the State of Parishes in 1686 the Parish of Ballant had Louis Audouyn as Lord with 80 fires and land which produced grains and wine.
Baron de Livenne was Lord of Ballans in the 18th century. The botanist Bernard de Jussieu presented him with a cedar in 1734. By its girth and its majesty, it was greater than the cedar in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris which was planted by Bernard Jussieu in the same year. A third cedar from Lebanon brought with the first two trees was planted by Bernard de Jussieu on his Loiret property but it died after several years.
In 1789 Ballans participated in the drafting of the list of grievances which provides us valuable information:
"The parish of Ballans complains that ecclesiastical tithes are paid at Saintes college and what the priests take is not only for charitable works but even for their own needs. It requires mercy and the justice of your Majesty in this regard that the tithes be for the pastor in charge of maintaining the church and the rectory and to fill other functions and duties without perquisites and as tithes of this parish assigned to the College of Saintes, your Majesty is humbly begged to order that all ecclesiastical tithes and other benefits, to be raised annually an amount equivalent to that of the farm tithes of the said parish which currently amount to seventeen hundred and fifty livres."
In the 20th century the main activity was the raising and selling of horses.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors
FromToNamePartyPosition
20012014Annie Trimoulinard
20142020Marie-Agnès Begey

Inter-communality

Ballans is part of the Community of communes of Pays de Matha which includes the 25 communes of the Canton of Matha. This canton forms 4.21% of the land area of the Charente-Maritime department but only 1.64% of its population.

Town planning

According to the census of 2010 there were 127 dwellings in the commune which are mostly old.
There are 88 principle homes, 20 secondary residences and 19 vacant.

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 207 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger communes that have a sample survey every year.

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is relatively old. The ratio of persons above the age of 60 years is higher than the national average and the departmental average. Unlike national and departmental allocations, the male population of the commune is greater than the female population.
Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Ballans and Charente-Maritime Department in 2010
BallansBallansCharente-MCharente-M
Age RangeMenWomenMenWomen
0 to 14 Years17.618.617.215.1
15 to 29 Years12.014.716.414.3
30 to 44 Years25.022.518.417.7
45 to 59 Years20.422.520.820.6
60 to 74 Years16.711.817.618.2
75 to 89 Years7.48.89.112.5
90 Years+0.91.00.61.6

Sources:
According to the 2010 census there are 106 employable people of which 98 are active employees or self-employed. The activity is totally related to viticulture in this Fins Bois area of the Cognac region.
The commune is also home to a flock of pheasants.
The town has several rural multi-service shops with a bar and a post office.

Facilities

Education

The school is an Inter-communal Educational Grouping between Macqueville, Neuvicq, Siecq, and Ballans.
Ballans hosts one class which is a large children's section and CP.

Sports and recreation

There is a Hiking route and a Tennis court.
There is a local festival on the third weekend in June, Fireworks on 14 July, and a flea market in the schools on the 1st Sunday of October.

Associations

There is a Senior Citizens Club, the festival committee, and the ACCA hunting society.

Sites and Monuments