Saulnot

Saulnot is a commune in Haute -Saône in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Saulnot situated at an altitude of 360 m above sea level, 10 km west of Héricourt and about 14 km northwest of the town of Montbéliard (air line). The village is located in the western part of the Burgundian Gate, in a longitudinal depression between the hills of the Massif de Saulnot ( Bois de Granges ) in the North and the Bois des Hautes Roches in the south.

The area of ​​26.73 km ² municipal area includes a section to the west of the Burgundian Gate. The central part of the area is crossed from west to east direction from a wide longitudinal recess having a width of about three kilometers. In the area of the village a watershed runs: To the west drain the Ruisseau du Pont du Rond and the Ruisseau de Mouillère that belong to the catchment area of ​​the Ognon; in the east there is a above ground basin without outflow, where the bog Marais de Saulnot expands. However, the Bach Sapoie seeps on the southern edge of the basin. The area is primarily used for agriculture (arable and meadow land ).

Flanked the longitudinal recess in the south by wooded plateau of the Bois des Hautes Roches (510 m ), which leads on to the adjacent, low-water Causse. The plateau consists of a resistant limestone layer of the middle Jurassic period. To the north, the municipality's area extends in the hilly area of the Massif de Saulnot, which is covered by the extensive grove of the Bois de Granges. It forms the southwestern continuation of the Vosges and is partly constructed of red sandstone, partly is also evident the crystalline basement. On the ridge of the Grand Bois de Champey is achieved with 522 m the highest elevation of Saulnot. In the north of community ban extends to the headwaters of Ruisseau de Courmont and Ruisseau des Prés Meunier.

To Saulnot addition to the actual site include a number of villages and hamlets, namely:

• Malval (375 m) in the valley of the Ruisseau de Mouillère on the southern edge of the Bois de Granges
• Corcelles (365 m) at the northern foot of the Bois des Hautes Roches
• Gonvillars (395 m ) in a basin at the eastern foot of the Bois des Hautes Roches

Neighboring communities of Saulnot are Faymont and Courmont in the north, Champey, Le Vernoy, Chavanne and Villers -sur- Saulnot in the east, Arcey and Gémonval in the south and Crevans -et -la- Chapelle- lès -Granges and Granges- le -Bourg in the West.

History

The territory of Saulnot was already inhabited in prehistoric times. Evidence of the presence of man was discovered ( at Gonvillars ) as well as a Bronze Age settlement site in the Bois de Corcelles in the Grotte de la Baume. Saulnot is mentioned in 1147 in connection with salt and mineral springs. In the Middle Ages, the town belonged to the rule Granges. Since the 14th century the Counts of Montbéliard strengthened their hold on Saulnot. The village was known for its salt mines until the 17th century. In neighboring Corcelles, which is first mentioned in 1140, had the coal mining importance in the 16th century.

Together with the Franche -Comté Saulnot came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 definitively to France. To a field change occurred in 1821, when Malval ( the first in 1790 a Municipality ) was incorporated into Saulnot. 1972 the previously independent municipalities Corcelles and Gonvillars were fused with Saulnot. Since 2001 Saulnot is a member of the comprehensive 20 villages municipal association Communauté de communes du Pays d' Héricourt.

Attractions

The village church Eglise de la Decollation -de -Saint -Jean -Baptiste (St. John decapitation ) in Saulnot was rebuilt in 1946. For the rich interior includes a baptismal font from the 12th or 13th century, two silver chalices and a copper crucifix from the 18th century. A wayside cross dates from the 18th century. In the village are houses from the 17th to 19th centuries in the traditional style of the Franche-Comté are obtained. The Fontaine- Lavoir that once served as well, wash and livestock watering, was built in the 19th century red sandstone. From a former seat of power remains testify to the hallway Châtelot.

Population

With 694 inhabitants ( 2004), Saulnot to the small towns in the Haute- Saône. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century ( in 1886 674 people were still counted ), a strong population growth was recorded mainly during the 1970s again. Since then, the population remained at an approximately constant level.

Economy and infrastructure

Saulnot has long been a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, there are now several companies of local small businesses as well as companies in the construction industry and precision engineering. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many workers are therefore commuters who do their work in Héricourt and in the agglomerations Belfort and Montbéliard.

The village has good transport links. It lies on the main road D9, which runs from Héricourt to Villers Exel. The nearest links to the A36 motorway is located at a distance of about 20 km. Further road links exist with Arcey, Aibre, Lomont and Granges- le -Bourg.