Saulchery

Location in the Marne valley

Saulchery lies in the Aisne département, in the far west of the Hauts-de-France region, and so in the part of Champagne often grouped together as the Vallée de la Marne. The village stretches along the right bank of the Marne. Charly-sur-Marne is just under two kilometres downstream, Romeny-sur-Marne upstream. Château-Thierry is about 15 kilometres to the north-east.

The commune includes the hamlets of Le Pont and Montoiselle. Le Pont is linked by a road bridge to Nogent-l'Artaud on the opposite bank, so anyone wanting to cross the Marne does so right in the village. As of 2023, Saulchery has 687 inhabitants.

Winegrowing in Saulchery

The commune lies within the Champagne appellation zone. It is not classified as Grand Cru or Premier Cru, but viticulture clearly shapes the landscape. According to the European Corine Land Cover data, around 72 per cent of the commune's area was farmland in 2018, with 50.8 per cent in permanent crops alone. In the Marne valley, that means mainly vineyards. Woodland accounts for a good 10 per cent, built-up land just under 18 per cent.

“As of 2023, Saulchery has 687 inhabitants.Winegrowing in SaulcheryThe commune lies within the Champagne appellation zone.

The climate is oceanic, with cooler summers and cold winters. For the years 1971 to 2000, the source gives an annual mean temperature of 10.4 °C and an average of 743 millimetres of rainfall. These are moderate conditions, typical of the northern edge of the growing area.

Name and administration

The village name is recorded as Saucheri from the year 1280 and changed several times over the centuries. In 1650 we find the form Sauchery-le-Pont, a reference to the bridge over the Marne. Administratively, Saulchery belongs to the arrondissement of Château-Thierry and the canton of Essômes-sur-Marne. The commune is a member of the Communauté de communes du Canton de Charly-sur-Marne. Statistically, it counts as part of the Charly-sur-Marne urban area and the Paris catchment area.

Veuve Clicquot Tasting

Léon Lemoine, mayor and Resistance fighter, who lived from 1896 to 1945, came from the village.

Things to see and walks

Saulchery is a quiet place for a stopover on a route through the western Marne valley. There is:

• the church of Saint-Sébastien, dating from the 18th century
• the wash house (lavoir) with its fountain
• vineyards overlooking the Marne valley

The long-distance footpaths GR 11A and GR 14 run through the commune. On foot, you can link the vine slopes with the river valley and get to know the region beyond the famous champagne towns.