Loray
Loray is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.
Geography
Loray is at 742 m above sea level, 12 km east of Valdahon and about 37 km east-southeast of the city of Besançon ( straight line ). The village is located in the Jura, on a slightly inclined to the west slope on the eastern edge of the basin of Avoudrey, at the foot of the Roche Barchey.
The area of 14.39 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The western part of the area occupied by the basin of Avoudrey, which has a width of about 4 km and a length of almost 10 km and an average of lies 720 m. It is mainly consisted of arable and meadow land. The plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. Sunk in the basin is a dry valley that belongs to the catchment area of topographically Reverotte (inflow of Dessoubre ). North of Loray this valley deepened more and more into the plateau and finally reaches the source of Reverotte. This flows into a wooded and partly marked by rock bands erosion valley to the east and partially forms the northern boundary of the municipality.
To the east, the municipality's area extends to the predominantly forested ridge of the Roche Barchay, on the 988 meters, the highest elevation of Loray is achieved. It forms an anticline of the Jura Mountains and is oriented according to the strike of the mountain range in the southwest-northeast direction. Also the pass crossing Col des Ages ( 787 m ), a Talfurche between the Roche Barchey and the height of the Bois de la Cote ( 931 m), part of the community.
To Loray include the hamlet of Les Ages de Loray ( 753 m) at the entrance to the Talfurche the Col des Ages and the homestead Martinvaux ( 595 m) in the valley of Reverotte. Neighboring communities of Loray are Domprel and La Sommette in the north, Plaimbois -Vennes and Vennes in the east, Orchamps -Vennes in the south and Flangebouche and Grand Fontaine- sur -Creuse in the West.
History
Loray was probably founded before 1100. In the Middle Ages, the village formed part of the feudal rule Vercel. Together with the Franche -Comté it came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France. Since 1998 Loray is a member of the 44- villages municipal association Communauté de communes du Pays de Pierre Fontaine - Vercel.
On 1 January 2009 there was a change in the membership of the district municipality. So far, belonging to the district Besançon, all municipalities in the canton came to the district Pontarlier.
Attractions
The church of Saint -Michel was built in 1837 on the site of an earlier church. It has a eichenes choir stalls in the Louis XV style. In the church there is a sculpted stone cross from the 12th century. Also worth seeing are the Fontaine Ronde, a wash-house, whose style is reminiscent of the ancient world, and a 400 -year-old linden tree.
Population
With 490 inhabitants ( 1 January 2011) Loray is one of the small communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1896 552 persons were still counted ), a population growth was recorded since the mid-1970s again.
Economy and infrastructure
Loray until the 20th century, a predominantly by agriculture ( livestock and dairy farming, farming ) embossed village. In addition, there are now several companies of local small businesses. Many workers are also commuters who engage in the surrounding larger towns of their work.
The village has good transport links. It is near the main road D461 which leads from Besançon Morteau. Through a four-lane bypass Loray and Les Ages de Loray are now relieved of through traffic. Further road links exist with Flangebouche, Plaimbois -Vennes and Domprel.