Vendée
Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.department in the
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire (; but can also mean 'Lower Loire') is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital an ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
in western
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune
Rives-d'Autise
Rives-d'Autise () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It was established on 1 January 2019 by merger of the former communes of Nieul-sur-l'Autise (the seat) and Oulmes.Arrêté préfectoral 4 December 2018
Oulmes is located on the D148 road between
Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte (; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''Funtenaes'' or ''Fintenè'') is a Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Vendée Departments of France, department in the Pays de la Loire Regions of France ...
(14 km to the north west)) and
Niort
Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; ; ) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres.
The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the urban area.
Geography
T ...
(18 km to the south east), and just north of the A83 motorway ‘Routes des Estuaires’ (Estuary route).
As well as the church of Notre Dame, Oulmes has a former chapel of St Thomas, and a former priory in the rue de la Venise Verte. The church has a bell dating from 1642, given by François de la Rochefoucauld, seigneur de Marcillac.
The village primary school is in the Allée des Maléons.
Since 1965, Oulmes has been served by the police station at
Maillezais
Maillezais () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.
It was once an island in the Marais Poitevin, until monks of the Maillezais Abbey dug canals in the 13th century. Remains of the sea wall ar ...
, 8 km to the south west. The house at 48, Rue Georges Clémenceau was the Gendarmerie (police station ) for Oulmes 1904–1965.
In 1881, the Fontenay-le-Comte to Benet railway line opened, with a station at Nieul-Oulmes. The line closed in 1969, and the station building was demolished in 1985, although the street name ‘rue de la Gare’ (Station Road) remains.